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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26560189">The Golden Sphere</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerlinniel/pseuds/aerlinniel'>aerlinniel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stalker (1979), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Пикник на обочине - Братья Стругацкие | Roadside Picnic - Arkady &amp; Boris Strugatsky</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, BAMF Bella, BAMF Jasper, Crossover, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Minor Character Death, Romance, Supernatural Elements, Tragedy, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:28:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>26,973</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26560189</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerlinniel/pseuds/aerlinniel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jasper Whitlock is a stalker, one of the people who are compelled, in spite of extreme danger, to venture illegally into the Zone—an area cordoned off by the government to stop the removal of potentially dangerous artifacts left behind by extraterrestrial visitors. His life is a mystery, dominated by the crime and corruption surrounding the place.</p><p>For Bella, the Zone is an interesting yet far away concept. This all changes when something goes horribly wrong in Charlie’s job, leaving her to fend for herself. Forced into a precarious situation, she is forced to choose—will she remain aloof to the state her father is in, or will she dare contact Jasper Whitlock and follow him into the Zone?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charlotte/Peter (Twilight), Emmett Cullen &amp; Bella Swan, Emmett Cullen/Rosalie Hale, Jasper Hale/Bella Swan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Bella Swan, 18 years old. Senior student at Forks High School. </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The old projector whirred as it turned on. Leaning into her chair, Bella observed as the video’s faint images gradually grew sharper, slowly revealing a crowd of scientists and academics gathered at a colloquium. The few remaining hushed whispers in the class died as the video began to play, giving way to the clear, smooth voice of the lead panellist—an old, grey-haired professor standing at the centre of the cavernous room.</p><p>“What was it? A meteorite? A visit of inhabitants of the cosmic abyss? One way or another, our small country has seen the birth of a miracle—the Zone.” The old man gestured at the colleagues around him, briefly stopping his speech. “It is the very birth of this miracle that has seen us congregating here, to share the discoveries which these hallowed events have allowed us to reach.”</p><p>She knew who they were, as did much of the class. They had been studying the topic all week on account of the nearing tenth anniversary of the Visit, and their teacher had been adamant on showing footage from the first scientific conference that had discussed it. The names of a number of the scientists who had participated were altogether too familiar, much like the location in which it had taken place.</p><p>Dr Stefan, the figure in dark, old-fashion clothing sitting at the old man’s side, had revealed the coordinates from which whatever it was that had hit Earth had originated. Dr Eleazar Denali had further added to the discovery by delimiting the six Visit Zones the event had caused, confirming the factuality of the event. Finally, amongst a number of other now-prestigious researchers, was Dr Carlisle Cullen; a man who had stood out at the time on account of his identification of the first artefact retrieved from the Zone.</p><p>“Dr Stefan,” the aged man continued, nodding to the man at his side, “I know this will cut into the planned discussion for this afternoon, but, before we start, would you like to say a couple of words on the subject?”</p><p>“Oh, I wouldn’t know what to say,” Stefan said apologetically, shaking his head. “I wasn’t in Forks at the time. What would our audience wish to know?”</p><p>“I’ll admit to personally being interested in what you first thought when you heard that a number of towns were being invaded by a highly advanced alien civilisation…”</p><p>Stefan tittered. “To be honest, at first I assumed it was a hoax. I couldn’t imagine anything like that happening at all. Western Siberia, Romania, the South Atlantic—even those seemed possible, but Forks!” He shook his head. “We know better now, of course. I’m sure Dr Cullen would have more to say, given how he lived here before it all happened.”</p><p>The crowd laughed. A young, blond man smiled good-naturedly and nodded. Pale and tired looking, with circles under his eyes, he was more easily recognisable than the rest, if only due to his position at the Forks branch of the International Institute of Extraterrestrial Cultures. He was older now, Bella knew, though he hadn’t changed that much.</p><p>“I will confess that, at the time, it was hard to believe too,” Carlisle said softly.</p><p>“What did you think back then about the events, Dr Cullen?” the old man asked. “Were you worried about the fate of your hometown?”</p><p>“Well, by then it was clear that the Visit had happened, but I couldn’t bring myself to believe the hysterical articles about burning neighbourhoods and monsters.”</p><p>“You were right, of course. I imagine that we can all remember the mess that was made out of the events at first,” the old man said. “Let us return to the science, though. I read the article you published just recently in the Institute’s monthly journal. Very impressive, if I may say so—perpetual motion always seemed to be mere fantasy.”</p><p>“Thank you, though I know of many colleagues who are getting ready to publish similar discoveries. I merely was the first, there’s still a lot of work to be done.” Carlisle smiled. “A good friend of mine, for instance—Eleazar, he’s attending this conference, I think—has seen substantial progress with his research on that very topic.”</p><p>“Of course. An exciting thought, to be sure!” the old professor exclaimed. “If I may ask, Dr Cullen. What do you think is the most important discovery made thus far?”</p><p>“That would have to be the fact of the Visit itself,” Carlisle replied easily. “It doesn’t matter who these aliens were or where they came from. The question of why they left so quickly and where they’ve vanished to pales, in my opinion, with what we now know for sure. Humanity is not alone in the universe.”</p><p>“I’m sure we all agree, Dr Cullen, though I was referring to technological discoveries. I believe you have been working with the Institute on the topic?”</p><p>“I have, though lately I’ve been involved with the matter of the internationalisation of the Visit Zones. There is an interest in controlling access to ensure that potentially dangerous artefacts don’t make it to the general public.”</p><p>The old man nodded slowly. “I have read the reports on the matter. The press has been referring to such people as Stalkers—correct?”</p><p>Blinking, Carlisle shook his head. “I’m afraid that I’m not familiar with the term.”</p><p>The crowd laughed again, and Stefan quickly replied. “That’s what the residents of Folk have taken to calling the desperate people who, despite grave risks, sneak into the Zone and smuggle out whatever they can find,” he explained. “It’s quite the new career.”</p><p>“I see,” Carlisle said grimly. “That falls outside my area of expertise, though I believe that the head of the UN Commission on the Problems of the Visit, Aro Volturi, is keen on tackling the issue.”</p><p>“No wonder! Though researchers such as ourselves no doubt find these discoveries fascinating, the leak of materials to irresponsible people and organisations—.”</p><p>Bella startled as the video then froze abruptly. Their teacher, having stopped the recording, turned off the projector and placed the remote-control back on his desk. Smiling kindly, he glanced back at the class.</p><p>“And those were the opening words to the first scientific conference examining the matter of the Visit—in our town’s very City Hall,” he said enthusiastically, picking up a board marker. He stood up slowly. “If you would turn to chapter three of Stetson’s History of the Visit.”</p><p>The students around Bella groaned. Bella kept her eyes on her own copy of the book, barely noticing the way Jessica, who was sitting beside her, nodded off as the teacher began to write on the board.</p><p>“We covered the matter of Stalkers in our last class—both the secondary effects that entering the Zone can cause and the prison sentence to which unauthorised access is subject to,” the teacher asserted. “Does anyone what they are?” A hand near the front of the class quickly raised up. “Yes, Mr Cheney?”</p><p>“A five-year prison term on a first offence—ten for a second one,” Ben—Angela’s boyfriend—said quickly. “Secondary effects can include sterility, deformed or altered offspring, and adverse effects to one’s health. This ranging from altered physical characteristics to—.”</p><p>“Very good, Mr Cheney,” the teacher said. “I’m sure you have all heard of a number of stories by now, though make no mistake. Death is more likely for those who enter the Zone than any of the ‘gifts’ the press likes to report on.”</p><p>Another hand, Mike Newton’s, rose up. “Is it true that an investigator was taken in for treatment by the Institute recently?” he asked enthusiastically. “That they—she—was reported to have gained some sort of precognition ability after touching a scrap of metal in the Zone?”</p><p>“Whatever happened is under the jurisdiction of the Institute and isn’t directly related to the matter of our class, Mr. Newton. Neither do, for that matter, legends; both those pertaining to unconfirmed gifts or artefacts such as the so-called Wish Machine.”</p><p>A few seconds went by in silence, with the teacher perusing the classroom. Finally, as his eyes glanced over Bella’s figure within the middle of the class, he turned around to face the whiteboard and began writing on it quickly.</p><p>“Very well! There is no time to waste,” he exclaimed. “As you can see from the page before you…”</p><p>Opening her notebook, Bella felt the rest of the classroom fade away as she began to copy the notes. It wasn’t long before they progressed past the materials covered within the chapter, and, before she knew it, the bell signalling the end of the day had rung. Packing her things quickly, she rose from her seat and began to make her way out. Breathing in deeply as she exited the classroom, she took in as much of the cooler, less stagnant air of the corridor as she could.</p><p>Jessica, walking by her side, whined loudly. Flicking her brown hair, she turned to face Mike. “Finally! I thought the day would never end,” she cried. “The focus the Visit has been getting lately has been unbearable, tenth anniversary or not.”</p><p>Mike shook his head. “Jess—.”</p><p>“It’s true, Mike!” Jessica interrupted. “Forks has done nothing but go downhill ever since—.”</p><p>Bella looked away, only barely following the other girl’s line of conversation. Pushing the front doors open, she pulled her jacket tighter around herself and walked out into the cold February air. Looking at the town just beyond the high school’s gates.</p><p>It wasn’t an altogether pretty sight; not in the way Charlie had said it had been years ago. Tall, sprawling, carbon-copy building blocks towered around the city centre. Built in the rush that had followed the appearance of the Zone, they were completely unlike Fork’s previous architecture. Their brutalist style stood out against the thick groves of trees of the Olympic National Forest; their concrete walls and harsh, metallic edges having long since been dirtied permanently by the wet local weather.</p><p>The Zone itself, encased as it was by tall fences and barbed wire, was quite a sight. Located to the East of Forks, it had overtaken a quarter of the then-town’s terrain and sprawled far beyond it, into a sizeable area of the surrounding forest. Barely any of its insides were visible through the security surrounding it, though what little could be seen didn’t look any different from what laid outside, as if nothing had changed in ten years.</p><p>It was hard to imagine how Forks had been before the Visit, even with Charlie’s descriptions. She had been with Renée, then, back before she had left to travel with her new husband. The peace and tranquility depicted in the many photographs of the place seemed surreal by comparison to the cheap structures that had sprung up within the last decade. The quaint buildings that had once characterised the town standing in stark contrast to the run-down exterior of its new, sprawling industrial areas.</p><p>A hand pressed against Bella’s shoulder. Startled, she turned around and met Angela’s brown eyes. She was frowning, worry obvious in the way her posture had tensed.</p><p><em>When did she get here?</em> Bella wondered, only just noticing the added presence of Lauren and Ben at Jessica and Mike’s side.</p><p>“Bella?” Angela asked</p><p>She smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, I must have been distracted. Were you saying something?”</p><p>“I was just asking if you wanted to come with us. We were going to go to the cinema.”</p><p>Mike’s head swerved away from Jessica, beaming even as Lauren pulled a face. “That’s right! Eat something in town afterwards, too.” He stepped towards her. “What do you say, Bella?”</p><p>It only took a moment for Bella to shake her head. She normally wouldn’t have minded going with them, but she wouldn’t be able to today. “I don’t think I’ll be able to, Angela, sorry. Charlie wanted me home early today—he wanted to discuss my plans for after graduation before leaving for another escort job for the Institute tomorrow morning.”</p><p>Her friend’s face fell. “Oh, that’s alright,” she said. “Just message us if anything changes, alright?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Waving goodbye, Bella directed herself towards the car park at the high school’s side once the group began to walk away. Opening her truck, she entered the driver’s seat and placed her schoolbag on the passenger seat. Turning on the ignition key, she reversed and drove out of the high school.</p><p>It didn’t take long for her to reach the white, wooden house that had become so familiar over the last year. The spacious home was a welcome sight after the day’s long hours, the untouched forest behind it adding a beauty to the area which the newly developed apartment buildings encasing the property on its three other sides didn’t manage to fully steal.</p><p>Parking the truck in the driveway, she grabbed her bag and walked towards the front porch, only to stop abruptly when Charlie opened the door.</p><p>“Ah. Bells, you’re back.”</p><p>She frowned. He was in his police uniform, though he wasn’t set to leave until night-time. “You’re leaving already?” she asked, feeling surprised.</p><p>Charlie nodded sombrely. “I am. Something came up that pushed the expedition forwards. You know how these things are.”</p><p>“Oh, I see,” she breathed, pursing her lips. It wasn’t entirely unusual for her father’s position as Chief of Police to mean out of hours visits to the International Institute of Extraterrestrial Cultures, though it never tended to bode well if it preceded an expedition. “Has something happened?”</p><p>“According to Carlisle some new information just came up—something to do with a Stalker,” he explained simply. “The people at the Institute want me to join the expedition for longer than expected.”</p><p>“How long will you be in the Zone?”</p><p>“Two days, most likely. Maybe three.”</p><p>Bella clenched her hand around her bag’s strap. Charlie had never been inside the Zone for that long before. “Why the change?”</p><p>“They’ve got a map of some sort—Aro Volturi’s interest has made the expedition’s priority rise,” Charlie said. He stepped forwards and patted her arm awkwardly, attempting to comfort her. “I’ll be okay, Bells. It shouldn’t be anything dangerous,” he said, voice serious. He glanced around him, expression souring at the sight of the apartments encasing their house. “Just make sure to be safe, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”</p><p>“I will.”</p><p>He stepped away as Bella nodded, expression souring as he looked up to the apartment buildings encasing their house. “I’ll be back in two days. Make sure to call Billy or Harry if something happens, alright?”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The cafeteria was already full by the time Bella entered it on Friday. Walking at a leisurely pace, she edged closer to the table her friends sat in. They were all there already—almost, anyways. Angela, only partially through the food she had bought, was sitting at her usual seat near the edge. In front of her were Jessica and Mike, the voluminous hair of the former frizzy from the heavy humidity carried into the room from the rain outside.</p><p>Angela smiled as soon as she saw her approach the table, breaking away from Mike’s animated conversation. The boy smiled widely, eyes searching for her own as Jessica offered a pale imitation of the action.</p><p>“You’re here later than usual today, Bella” Angela said. “Lauren and Ben both left already.”</p><p>Bella took a seat at the table, placing her lunchbox atop it. “I’m sorry,” she said, “the teacher kept us for a bit longer than expected, and I wanted to ask a few questions.”</p><p>Mike leant forwards. “What questions?”</p><p>“Graduation,” Bella quickly replied, distractedly looking over the meal she had packed. “Or, well—just about an option Charlie mentioned some time ago.”</p><p>“Weren’t you thinking about applying to a university?”</p><p>She bit her lip. “I’m not sure,” she said. “I still haven’t narrowed the final options.”</p><p>It had been one of the things she knew Charlie had wanted to discuss before leaving. He had made his support fully clear when the topic had first arisen months ago, regardless of the costs that’d be involved, and all that remained was selecting specific courses and universities to apply to.</p><p>“Final options?” Jessica asked. Her posture tensed. “The deadlines are coming up soon, you know? Have you even decided where you’ll be applying?”</p><p>Mike elbowed Jessica gently on the side. “There’s still plenty of time, Jess. You still haven’t decided where to fully, either.” Leaning back into his chair, he ignored the brown-haired girl’s frustrated glare. “What places were you thinking of applying to, Bella?”</p><p>A strange, choking worry flashed ran through her. “It was one of the things Charlie and I were supposed to talk about it this Monday, but he still hasn’t returned.” Looking down, she forced herself to consider the question seriously. Pushing away the uncomfortable thought that was her father’s late return. “I could stay in Washington, though Alaska or California are tempting as well.”</p><p>Angela’s expression softened. “Oh, that’s a shame,” she said. “Well, you know that these things sometimes take a while. I’m sure he’ll be back tonight—you’ll be able to talk about it then. There’s really no hurry.”</p><p>Bella nodded distractedly. Slowly, she turned to face the right side of the cafeteria. “It barely looks any different from the rest of Forks,” she muttered, eyes searching for the landscape encased by fences beyond the cafeteria’s wide windows. It barely looked different from the areas of town it bordered, at least at a glance.</p><p>“The air is different there; can’t you feel it?” Mike said, noticeably perking up. “It’s almost like it’s charged, or—.”</p><p>Jessica scoffed, interrupting him. “Mike, we already can’t stop hearing about the Zone in class. Couldn’t you stop it for a second?”</p><p>“Come on, Jessica, you’ve heard the stories too. The things lying in wait in there! Have you ever heard what they sell for?” Mike said, gesturing widely. “And the gifts! Did you know there is a confirmed case of pathokinesis?”</p><p>“Yes, and a big-name Stalker died in there recently, too; ‘the Leech’—Maria. My father was telling us all about it yesterday.” Her lips curled with disgust. “She threw herself into some of the slime that swallowed several buildings during the Visit. Practically melted. Though, imagine if she had somehow managed to make it out alive afterwards. She’s one of the lucky ones.”</p><p>“Jessica!” Mike exclaimed.</p><p>Angela raised her hands in a pacifying gesture. “Come on, Jess,” she said softly. “The research associated with the Zone is important.”</p><p>“How many people have died in there, Angela? How many have gone missing?” Jessica said, quirking an eyebrow up. “How many children have been disfigured due their parents entering? Been genetically altered until they scarcely look human? The Zone’s a curse.”</p><p>Bella observed Jessica as she breathed in deeply, her eyes darting to the windows before looking back at them. She was searching for words, though she didn’t look particularly nervous.</p><p>“I just find it very hard to take seriously or believe in the entire topic. As for the technology and ‘gifts’—well,” Jessica finally said, shaking her head. “There is no such thing as telepathy, apparitions, or anything like that. The Zone is as boring as biology or maths, and the objects inside it are nothing more than the trash that whatever caused the Visit left behind for us to pick up.”</p><p>“Aren’t you even curious?” Bella asked, unprompted. Nothing of what Jessica had said was false, but she couldn’t fully agree. The Zone was dangerous, yes, but it was hard to deny that the entire topic had a certain aura of mystique; even with the gruesome stories associated with it.</p><p>Jessica’s eyebrows ceased. “I don’t know what you all see in the Zone,” she spat. “Particularly you, Bella. You only came to Forks last year; you should know better.”</p><p>“I know it’s dangerous, Charlie’s made it more than clear. Almost every Stalker’s story is tragic.” Bella said, pursing her lips. “But even with that danger, shouldn’t we try to understand what is in there?”</p><p>“He hasn’t warned you nearly enough if you’re asking that, Bella.” The other girl stood up, huffing. “Your father is working in an expedition, right? You’re nowhere nearly as worried as you should be. What if he brings something back? If it gets him, too? He’s late already. You know what that means.”</p><p>Bella clenched her fists.</p><p>“It may be harsh of me to say this, but someone needs to.” Jessica ran a hand through her hair and shut her eyes. She reopened them moments later, pointedly avoiding her.  “None of us are naive. We’ve all heard about just how many people have gone missing in there. It’s what happens to everyone that sets a foot in there.”</p><p>Angela gasped. “Jessica, you can’t just say that.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Angela, but I’ve had enough of this,” the girl muttered. She turned to look at the fourth person at their table. “Mike, would you walk with me to class?”</p><p>The boy blinked. Nervously, he nodded and glanced around the table. “I’m sorry, Bella,” he said, standing up. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”</p><p>Bella swallowed the lump at her throat as Angela, stunned into silence, stared at the retreating form of their friends. She felt angry, but she couldn’t think of a way in which to reply. Breathing in deeply, she closed her eyes and attempted to calm herself down.</p><p>Jessica had never particularly liked her, even at the best of times. She had always been jealous and guarded—distrustful of anything remotely strange despite her otherwise outgoing personality. Whatever insecurity she had felt at Bella’s arrival in Forks had morphed all too easily into disagreeable moods and pointed comments.</p><p>Reopening her eyes, she looked at Angela. She was slumping forwards, shoulders tensed as she looked at Bella with worry.</p><p>“Are you okay, Bella?” she asked, voice barely a whisper. “You know it’s not true right? Jessica’s just—.”</p><p>Bella’s breath shook. Heat rose to her cheeks. Feeling her eyes start to well up, she looked up at the ceiling and blinked rapidly, trying to make the uncomfortable sensation disappear. She couldn’t tear up, not here. Not now. Not in the cafeteria.</p><p>Charlie would be fine; he always had been, after all. He had to.</p><p>“I know. I’m okay,” she said, forcing herself to look back down at her lunch.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The front door of the house opened with a loud creak. Bella stepped through it quickly, not bothering to glance back as she walked through the entrance and into the living room. Dropping her school bag atop the coffee table, she sat down. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she allowed herself to relax against the plush backrest. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to focus on the soft fabric of the white furniture piece. Slowly, the tension that had steadily accumulated since lunchtime began to ebb away, leaving behind it the ghost of the quiet calm she had attempted to maintain ever since Charlie had left on Monday.</p><p>Reopening her eyes, Bella pulled herself up and marched towards the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she grabbed hold of an apple—one of the few remaining pieces of fruit in the half-empty appliance—and took a seat at the nearby table. She bit into it distractedly, trying to decide on what to do. When nothing came to mind, she turned to look out of the window.</p><p>She felt listless. She had all week, truth be told, and nothing had managed to quite make the strange, apathetic mood fade. The emptiness and silence of the house had stopped her attempts to go through the unread piles of books in her room. Their simple reminder of the five days Charlie had already been away distracting her away anything she set off to do.</p><p>Bella pressed her lips into a thin line, shoulders tensing. She had never been alone in Charlie’s house for this long, had she?</p><p>Running a hand through her hair, she looked away from the ugly concrete building, absentmindedly following the few passers-by walking through the street. Behind her, far into the other side of the living room, the single clock of the house ticked on. Its handles moving on and on as people walked by.</p><p>The sun had just started to set when the phone rang.</p><p>Startled, Bella pushed herself out of the seat and rushed to the living room and picked up the receiver. Behind her, the chair fell and hit the countertop with a loud crash. “Hello?”</p><p>A smooth, cultured voice answered; slight English accent curling around the syllables. “Miss Swan? I am Dr Carlisle Cullen, an acquaintance of your father’s.”</p><p>“Yes. Has something happened?”</p><p>“I’m afraid that I must communicate you bad news, Miss Swan. I’m sure you know your father left to guard an important expedition of the Institute?”</p><p>“Yes, he told me. Was he—?” Her hands tightened around the phone. “Is he alive?”</p><p>The man on the other end of the phone quieted for a moment, allowing the dim, beeping sound of whatever machines were in the room with him to make it through the line. She had seen him enough times from afar to visualise the tall, now-ageing man.</p><p>“He is, though not quite. The situation is complicated.”</p><p>Her heart skipped a beat. <em>Complicated how?</em> she wondered. “What happened to him?”</p><p>Carlisle Cullen spoke before she could ask anything else. “He has been admitted to the Institute. He’s in a separate room, quarantined. I can’t discuss the details over the phone. Would you be able to travel here?”</p><p>“I can,” she said tersely. Cold sweat began to gather on her hands. Drawing in a shaky breath, she readjusted her grip on the receiver. Her voice trembled. “Where should I go?”</p><p>“I’m glad to hear that, Miss Swan,” Carlisle said soothingly. “I will be expecting you at the Forks branch of the International institute of Extraterrestrial Cultures. Security at the building’s main entrance will know to let you in if you give them your name. A lab technician will guide you to my office—things will be easier to explain that way.”</p><p>“Okay. Thank you.”</p><p>The man hummed in assent. “I will see you soon, Miss Swan.”</p><p>A click later Carlisle hanged up. Bella stood still, listening to the muted tone indicating that the call had ended until it died down. Feeling herself in a haze, she picked up her car keys. Barely having enough presence of mind to lock the house, she quickly found herself at her truck’s driver’s seat. Swallowing painfully, she inserted the key into the ignition switch and drove out of the driveway.</p><p>Streetlights flashed around her as the truck drove through the road. Eyes glued forwards, she barely noticed the streets around her becoming brighter and busier the closer she inched to the city centre. They dimmed down slowly, quieting as she drove through the city’s eastern side until, finally, barely five hundred yards away from the first of the barbed wire fences of the Zone, they came to a complete end.</p><p>Before she knew it, she had parked the truck at a near-empty parking lot by the Institute. Exiting and locking it quickly, she began to walk to the towering white building. The air was rarefied, barely seeming to show any signs of the humidity brought to Forks by the nearby ocean. A cold breeze ran through the entire area, flowing from the open streets to the Zone due east.</p><p>Bella wrapped her arms around herself as she felt a chill creep up her spine. She should have grabbed her jacket before heading out of the house.</p><p>Two security guards stopped her at the Institute’s gates. Their uniforms were different from that of the police, as were the semi-automatic firearms they carried. “The area is restricted” one of the guards said gruffly. “What business do you have here?”</p><p>“I’m Bella Swan—Isabella Marie Swan,” Bella said softly. “Dr Carlisle Cullen called me on account of my father. Apparently, something happened to him. He said he wanted to meet me to tell me about it.”</p><p>The guard looked down at her, frowning. He glanced at his partner, and only turned to look back at her when the other began to speak quickly into a handheld radio. “Very well, go right ahead. A lab technician will take you to Dr Cullen.”</p><p>Bella nodded and pressed on, until, finally, the automatic doors to the building opened. A waft of warm air greeted her as she stepped into the open foyer. She looked around as she stepped towards its centre, taking in the grey, sombre room.</p><p>A woman approached her. “Isabella Swan?”</p><p>She was tall. Her hair, long and curly, was the brightest shade of orange Bella had ever seen in another person. She looked regal, even with the dour lab coat atop her clothes. An unlit cigarette was held tightly in her hand, its centre folded and creased.</p><p>“Just Bella, please.” She swallowed and reached for the car keys in her trousers’ pocket, fidgeting with her fingers. “Dr Cullen called me. My father has apparently been admitted here?”</p><p>“Perfect, I’ve been expecting you.” the woman said. The edges of her lips twisted up in a pale imitation of a smile. “Follow me.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Bella Swan, 23 years old. Laboratory assistant at the Forks branch of the International Institute of Extraterrestrial Cultures.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The pile of reports fell over the table’s edge before Bella managed to reach them. A plume of dust rose as they landed on the tiled linoleum floor with a loud crash that reverberated through the cramped laboratory. Swallowing her embarrassment, Bella got up from her chair and stacked the pile of papers back on her desk, ignoring the attentive gazes of the other assistants.</p><p>A quiet snigger made its way from the back of the room. Unbidden, the loud voice of one of her co-worker reverberated from the side of the laboratory. “You should be more careful with those reports, Swan.”</p><p>Ignoring the comment, Bella looked down at the document she had been studying. The text was nearly incomprehensible. Its introductory summary, a clear copy of the style followed by articles in the Institute’s monthly reports, didn’t fit its contents or conclusions. A fact made all the worse by the multiple holes in the experimentation data.</p><p>Swallowing saliva, she glanced back down at the document. The previous reports on the laser-like artefact the team had retrieved didn’t match this new one. It was as if no work had been actually done at all.</p><p><em>Do they even have the artefact?</em> Bella wondered, <em>or have they sold it already?</em></p><p>Bella ran a hand through her hair. Her gaze rose as she leant back into her chair, stopping at the familiar sight of her boss’ shut office door. Victoria wasn’t going to be happy.</p><p>It was strange to think that the red-haired woman had been her boss for four years, ever since being hired as one of the Institute’s many lab assistants. Irascible and vitriolic, Victoria—the head of floor three—was always a pain to deal with. Her changing tempers and wild mood swings making the delivery of bad news a particular kind of nightmare.</p><p>“Problems with the reports, Bella?”</p><p>Bella turned to face Mike Newton. “The data’s false—something strange likely went wrong with the experiment,” she said. “Victoria won’t like this.”</p><p>“Hardly our problem, isn’t it?” Her old classmate’s lips curled into a lopsided smile. “We are here to verify the experiment reports, not write them.”</p><p>It was amazing to see how much the boy he had made in high school had changed since graduation. His time away from Forks had done him well, though she couldn’t quite say why he had chosen to return. He wasn’t that interested in the research the Forks branch of the International Institute of Extraterrestrial Cultures conducted, and instead only seemed to be devoted to the art of avoiding as much of his share of the work as he could.</p><p>Bella grimaced. “She’ll know I was the lab assistant assigned to the artefact.”</p><p>“There’s nothing that can be done about that though, is there?” Mike said, pausing before looking away. “Have you heard about what’s been happening at the Southern Atlantic Facility?”</p><p>“I can’t say I have yet.”</p><p>“They’re the ones who pioneered the new generation of machines. They’re not quite finished yet, but my dad said only the researchers are left there, now. It won’t be too long before the same thing happens here. The only thing we can do is get as much money whilst we still can.”</p><p>Bella nodded. It was an unpleasant thought, particularly given the state Forks was in. She’d be able to find a job eventually, but there was nothing in town that would pay more than the minimum required to scrape a living every month. Not for people like her, anyways. If she took into account her father’s ongoing medical bills, then, there’d be no way for her to pay for her basic necessities.</p><p>Mike had left by the time Bella looked back up. Shaking her head, she picked up the bound document and began to make her way across the laboratory. Stopping outside of the closed door, she listened intently for a few, brief seconds before finally knocking. Victoria wasn’t alone—there was a man with her, though she couldn’t recognise his voice.</p><p>“Come in.”</p><p>Bella pushed the door open and entered Victoria’s office. Ignoring the heavy stare of the older woman, she glanced at the unremarkable, brown-haired man by her desk. He was holding a bundle of papers—reports, most likely—though she didn’t think she had ever seen him at the Institute before.</p><p>“The report’s wrong. The data’s either incorrect or false,” Bella surmised quickly, placing the bound document at the edge of the wide piece of furniture. “It looks like a copy of January’s published report.”</p><p>Victoria’s jaw tightened. “I told you I didn’t want any mistakes, Swan,” she spat. “You were the laboratory assistant to these set of tests, weren’t you? Don’t think I will forget about this.”</p><p>Bella’s eyebrows rose. “Victoria, please. I had nothing to do with this in particular.”</p><p>“Do I look like I care, Swan?” Victoria asked. Picking up the document, she leafed quickly through it. “Leave before I decide to record this. Present or not, you are the lab assistant assigned to the object we acquired.”</p><p>Only her four years of experience at the laboratory kept the frustration she felt from showing on her face. “Of course,” she said, forcing herself to look back down at the document she had been reading. “I apologise.”</p><p>“You are dismissed, Swan.” Her boss’ eyes darted to the man at her side, who nodded minutely. “Check with the researchers at the first-floor labs before you leave. Someone will have to follow this topic up with an incident report.”</p><p>Bella turned around. Clenching her fists, she focused on the way her nails dug into her skin as she exited the office. Keeping her steps light, she walked through the laboratory to its single exit, swiftly making her way through a set of murky white corridors to a staircase.</p><p>It didn’t take her long to reach the Institute’s first floor. The area was different, courtesy of its designation as the Institute’s main testing site. Its hallways were narrower than those of the floor Bella worked in. The walls, painted in the same faded white as the rest of the Institute’s facilities, were kept completely bare. There were no windows, and, instead, it was illuminated only by the bright, yellow electrical lights hanging from the ceiling.</p><p>Turning left, Bella began to cut through the maze of hallways and corridors, expertly navigating them in the direction of the floor’s principal lab. Her thoughts returned to her father—to Charlie, still interned within the Institute’s medical facility.</p><p>It was a given she’d be losing her job soon, and, even if she made the year, her meagre pay barely covered the stream of experimental treatments he had to undergo. That any new, low-paying job she was able to get would manage even that much was doubtful. There were no easily available solutions for her; not like those her high school friends got to consider. Her lack of higher education would block her from any of the jobs they’d have on offer, as would the absence of an emigration permit. There was only the Zone, and even then, that was hardly an answer. Even with the activities certain employees at the institute engaged in.</p><p>She bit her lip. <em>What can I do?</em></p><p>Pushing open a set of doors, she entered another lab. It was big, far bigger than her own. A plethora of counters were laid out across the room, its sides lined with a myriad of side rooms partitioned with glass doors and walls. At a corner, a group of researchers were huddling around a set of hazmat suits, their faces sombre as they contemplated the rust-red blood dirtying their surfaces.</p><p>“They don’t seem to do much of a difference,” a woman said disparagingly. “They calm them, yes, but that hardly matters. The death rates are the same.”</p><p>“How much do these go for, anyways?” an older man asked. “Perhaps we should look into that. Are any Stalkers interested?”</p><p>Bella ignored them. Turning into another corridor, she continued walking until she reached a familiar glass door.</p><p>The door opened before she could knock. “Bella, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?” Angela asked.</p><p>“Thank you. It’s the recent report you gave me—the one I was assigned to. The data is either incorrect or false.”</p><p>“False?” she repeated. Her brows knit with worry. “That’s odd. Supervision of the project was reported to occur without incident, and despite the single casualty suffered during experimentation…”</p><p>“Victoria wasn’t happy.”</p><p>Angela sighed. “I can imagine.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry you had to do this, Bella. I’ll take care of everything; it’ll be better if a researcher is the one to file and point out the mistakes. Was she hard on you?”</p><p>“No more than usual,” Bella murmured. No more than she ever was, in truth. If anything, the meeting had been shorter than normal. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”</p><p>“That’s good,” she said, smiling before gesturing at one of the chairs by her desk. “Say, Bella, would you like to sit down? I know you’ve got work to do, but it’d be nice to have a coffee with you. It’s been a while.”</p><p>Bella’s eyes darted to her wristwatch. It was three in the afternoon—she had enough time to sit down and talk with Angela before having to return to her floor. Angela beamed as she nodded her assent. Gesturing towards the chairs in front of her desk, the young woman turned around and began to prepare two cups of coffee with the small machine atop a nearby shelf.</p><p>It wasn’t long before they were both sitting face to face, holding an espresso. “I wanted to ask; did you receive the invitation?”</p><p>Bella nodded. She had; the beautifully crafted card had arrived at her doorstep three days ago, its vivid colours plain to see despite how some of its edges had been damaged by the rain. “The twentieth of July?” she said, smiling. “It’s strange to think that you and Ben will finally be marrying. How’s he been?”</p><p>Angela’s eyes glistened. “He’s been doing very well. He’s working with the mayor, as you know, and—.” She drew a shaky breath in and took a sip from the cup between her hands. “Well, will you manage to make it?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“Great!” Angela exclaimed. “Jessica and I were going to go shopping for the dress this weekend. Will you come?”</p><p>It was a strange to think about Jessica. She knew that the girl had gone to university upon her own graduation, though she hadn’t kept in contact with her. “Where will you go?”</p><p>Angela’s smile widened. “There’s a tiny shop at the centre of town that’s apparently is quite good, according to Jessica. I’ll message you the details later,” Angela said. She leant forwards into her chair and looked at Bella, smile softening as she took her in. “But enough about me, Bella. How have you been? It’s been a while since we last saw each other.”</p><p>Bella brought the white cup to her lips. “I’ve been alright,” she said. “Nothing new has really come up.”</p><p>“How’s Charlie? Have there been any changes?”</p><p>“None at all. I still can’t see him,” Bella said bitterly. Her eyes glazed over. “They’re thinking of a new treatment, but as far as I can see they’re at a dead end.”</p><p>“I’m sorry to hear that. I can still remember how things were in high school, before he… you know,” Angela said sadly. “Are you still considering university? You still have time to apply. Even with how emigration laws have changed.”</p><p>“Not really.” She couldn’t—not anymore, even if she were to get accepted. The fees were too high, and she had spent most of her own and Charlie’s savings on his treatment. “I’m trying to see what I can do, but I don’t think I’ll be able to until Charlie stabilises.”</p><p>“Do you have any ideas about what you’ll do? I can’t imagine the automatisation will make things easy, if it does end up happening.”</p><p>“Look for other things, I guess, I’m still trying to work things out.” Bella glanced back at the hallway, remembering the group of researchers that had been crowding around the suits. “Truth be told, I’ve been wondering if I should consider the Zone.”</p><p>Angela’s eyes widened. “The Zone?” She leant forwards. “Do you mean selling things or trying to go in?”</p><p>Bella swallowed. Her hands got clammy. “I’m not sure,” she confessed, voice barely a whisper. “No matter what I do, what I find, I’d never have enough money for Charlie’s treatment. I can’t see a different way out.”</p><p>“You know the statistics as well as I do, Bella. You don’t even have any experience with that place—not like Charlie did,” she derided. “What if something happened to you?”</p><p>Feeling resigned, Bella lowered her head. Black market dealing of Institute materials wasn’t an option available to her—not with the tight control Victoria ran over her department. “I know,” she said. “It’s dangerous, but, maybe if I talk to a Stalker I can arrange something. I don’t think I have any other options available.”</p><p>“I don’t like this, Bella. I don’t like this at all,” Angela said quietly. “Are you sure there aren’t any other options?”</p><p>“None. Besides, you know what the rumours are. I’ll be out of a job sooner than I think.”</p><p>Her friend exhaled forcefully and deposited the coffee cup on her desk. “I don’t like it, but if that’s what you want to do I think I can help you.” Leaning forwards, she rested her head on her hand. “I can give you information on someone that could be of help.”</p><p>“Who?” Bella asked.</p><p>Angela grimaced. “He’s got no contacts with the government, unlike the Cullens. As far as I know he only freelances, so he should be safe enough.”</p><p>Pursing her lips, Bella forced herself to process the information her friend was giving her. That was good—very good. It was perfect. “Who is he?”</p><p>Angela paused. Her eyes scanned the near-empty hallway beyond her office before straightening her posture and biting her lip. “Are you really sure about this, Bella?”</p><p>“He’s a Stalker, isn’t he?”</p><p>“Well, yes, but—. You don’t understand.” Angela stopped and shook her head. “He’s referred to as the Major,” she said, voice barely a whisper, “he was first taken into the Zone by the Leech. The heads of the Institute have recently been interested in him over that legendary artefact—the Golden Sphere. He apparently takes people to it every now and again.”</p><p>Bella’s eyes widened. She knew what Angela was referring to—almost everyone did. The Wish Machine was one of the first rumours that had come out of the Zone after the Visit, particularly after some of the early Stalkers had claimed to have found it. “It actually exists?” she asked with wonder.</p><p>“I know for a fact that Aro Volturi wants to contact him to organise a big operation, so it’s probably true.” Furrowing her brows, Angela clenched her eyes shut. “He’s effective—very effective. If reports are to be believed there’s hardly anyone better, but his methods…”</p><p>Bella leant back into her chair. Though the idea of going into the Zone made her nervous, she couldn’t deny just how alluring it seemed. The pay that she’d get for aiding in the retrieval of an artefact like that, illegal or not, would be substantial; perhaps enough to cover completely Charlie’s future treatments. Then there was the matter of what the Golden Sphere supposedly did, which, if true, could change Charlie’s predicament completely.</p><p>She clenched her jaw. She had to—she couldn’t abandon Charlie after everything that had happened. There was nothing else for him if things continued as they were.</p><p>Feeling resolute, she decided to press on. “Do you know where I can I find him?”</p><p>Angela’s hands shook. “Are you really sure, Bella? The Zone—.”</p><p>“It’s this or nothing, Angela, you know that,” Bella interrupted. “Where can I find the Major?”</p><p>“I can’t tell you that, but I can tell you where to find an associate of his—‘the Captain’,” she said. “He used to be a Stalker, but quit just over two years ago. The only reason I know about him is because he avoided time in prison by giving information to the Institute.”</p><p>“Thank you, Angela. This means a lot to me.” She smiled, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. “Could you message me his address later?”</p><p>“Of course. It’s the least I can do.” Her friends face fell. “Just be careful, alright? You know how things are.”</p><p>“I know. I will,” Bella replied. “Charlie, remember?” She rose from the chair before Angela could say anything. Placing the coffee cup on the table, she smiled, barely noticing the remains of the liquid inside sloshing with the movement. Looking at her wristwatch again, she turned towards the hallway. “Thank you for the coffee, Angela,” she said. “It was good to see you again.”</p><p>“Bella, I’m so sorry that—. I—,” Angela stumbled. She stopped and took a deep breath before speaking again, this time sounding noticeably less distressed. “You know you can rely on me for anything, right? No matter what. I know it’s been a while, but I mean it.”</p><p>Turning to look at her friend, Bella attempted to smile. “I know. I will,” she said. “Thank you for the help with the Stalker. It means a lot to me.”</p><p>“Always.” Angela’s lips curved up, slowly turning into a genuine smile. “I’ll see you this weekend?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Nodding by way of farewell, Bella left the office and returned to her own floor. The lab assistants assigned to her cramped laboratory had scattered across the floor, with barely, if any, visibly seeming to be at their workstations. Mike was nowhere to be seen, nor were any of the gossipers from before.</p><p>It was dark by the time she finally left the building. Bella grabbed the sides of her brown leather jacket and held them tighter around herself, trying to protect herself from the cold, February air as she made he way to the parking lot at the side of the Institute. Spotting immediately her red truck, Bella unlocked and entered her vehicle. She drove back home automatically, instinctually making turns at each of the tiny, unlit streets that led to her flat. Eventually, once she had crossed the growing centre of Forks, she reached damp, narrow street she now called a home. Parking her truck on an empty space, she grabbed her bag and began to make her way home.</p><p>It was dark, with barely any lights illuminating its paved road and sidewalk. Tall, grey apartment blocks towered at its sides; their windows dark despite the late hour.  The sides of the street were lined with old-looking cars and vehicles; large, garbage collecting containers being the sole objects to intersperse them. A single lone figure stood on the far side of a sidewalk; a woman, by the look of it, short and thin, with what seemed to be dark, short-cropped hair. She seemed to be looking away from her, though Bella couldn’t tell.</p><p>Her thoughts turned sour as she reached the vestibule of her building. Bella glanced up in the direction she knew Charlie’s home had once stood, trying to catch a sight of the plot of land she had been forced to sell after his accident. She could remember the sight of the white, wooden house detailedly, almost as if it were still before her. Its clean, fresh smell as vivid in her mind as the sights and sounds of the forest that had surrounded it on one side. None of it was left, now. Instead, a parking lot stood where the house had been. The forest on its side dented by a collection of new blocks of apartments.</p><p>Breathing in deeply, Bella unlocked the vestibule and began to walk up a steep set of stairs. She unlocked a door upon reaching the third floor, only finally allowing herself to relax as she entered her flat. She could see the entirety of her flat from here. The cluttered bookshelves lining the living room’s walls and the small, attached kitchen at its side. Her bedroom, small and narrow, with barely any space around her single bed, along with the property’s single cramped bathroom.</p><p>Taking off her jacket, she hung it from a coat stand and walked to the living room, where she took off her shoes and dropped herself gracelessly atop her couch. Once she was lying down, she allowed herself to glance at some of the framed photographs resting atop the side table by the living room’s door. Though they had faded slightly, the smiling faces within looked as clear as they had on the day they had been taken. Charlie’s being particularly distinct.</p><p>Her phone buzzed with an incoming message.</p><p>Bella looked away. Breathing in shakily, she picked up one of the many books discarded atop the nearby coffee table—the first volume in a set collecting the works of the Brontë sisters—and laid down on the sofa. Her eyelids growing heavier as she swiftly read through its pages.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The fifteen-year-old development looked as new as it had when it had first been built. It was cleaner; its streets wider and better maintained than the narrow alleyways she had become used to living in. Rows of bushes lined the pavement’s edges, the green colour of their leaves sharply distinct from the faded, dirty tones encompassing much of the centre of the town.</p><p>Bella looked down at her phone, intent on verifying that she was at the correct street. Its screen illuminated briefly, showing the black letters of the message Angela had sent her the night before. A second passed before she looked back up, staring straight at the tall signpost at the edge of an intersection.</p><p>Her heart thumped. This was it.</p><p>Taking a step forwards, Bella pressed on through the street. Eyesight raised, she took in the area around her, marvelling at how sheerly different it looked. The buildings here were almost completely detached, like they once must have been throughout much of the town, their height barely rising beyond two or three floors. The children’s park, built halfway along the street, was near empty—likely due to how late it was in the day.</p><p><em>This is a residential area—a good one</em>, Bella mused, noting the style of the houses, though what an ex-Stalker could have to do with an area like it wasn’t something she fully understood.</p><p>The soles of her feet stung by the time she reached the house number Angela had written—a testament to the sheer amount of time she had spent on her feet at the Institute throughout the day.</p><p>It was a beautiful property. The front lawn was trimmed down perfectly, barely a flaw in sight. A neat, cobbled pathway led to a red front door, lined at points by flowers. The house itself, suburban in style, was made entirely out of wood; it rose only two floors, making it appear squatter than the buildings surrounding it.</p><p>Inhaling deeply, Bella marched forwards. Pausing in front of the doorbell, she gathered her resolve before finally pressing the sleek, plastic button. The door opened almost immediately. Bella took a step back unconsciously, surprised at the abrupt appearance of the woman before her. She was short, far shorter than her, with white-blonde hair and clear eyes.</p><p>The blonde turned before she could so much as say a word. “Peter?” she called. “She’s one of yours.”</p><p>The sound of footsteps, quick and light, flowed from the house. Bella looked on as the woman walked back into the hallway, towards a male figure. Stopping at his side, she pressed a soft, brief kiss on his cheek. The man reciprocated it with a smile, only approaching the open door once the blond woman had walked away.</p><p>“And who could you be?” he asked.</p><p>He was tall, far taller than most of the people Bella had met. Blond hair fell in waves around his face. Despite its open disposition, his face was marked on the sides with a few, faded scars; brown eyes hinting at an odd, red undertone. Judging by the slight drawl obvious in the way he spoke, he likely had originally come from the south of the country.</p><p>Bella straightened her back, remembering the name Angela had given her. “Are you the Captain?”</p><p>The man’s muscles tensed at the sound of the name, though his smile didn’t fade. “I was, though these days I only go by Peter,” he replied with ease. “I take you’re here on business. What’s your name, sweetheart?”</p><p>“Bella Swan,” she said, ignoring the endearment. “A friend gave me your address.”</p><p>The man—Peter—nodded. Standing still, he observed her silently before stepping to a side, seemingly satisfied. “Very well, let’s talk then. Come inside.”</p><p>“Don’t you need to verify who I am?”</p><p>Peter shrugged. “There’s no need.” His smile grew as he turned around and began to walk through the hallway, making Bella follow him. “I suppose you could say I’ve got a good intuition for these sorts of things.”</p><p>The living room they stepped into was clean and open. Two sofas were angled towards a small, unlit fireplace. A few bookshelves rested near them, right besides an open arched door which led to a dining room. The shelves were almost completely bare, and only a few framed photographs, books, and DVDs rested atop them. The walls, painted in a pale white, were clear. Only a single, wide mirror hung on one of the room’s side walls, above a pair of brown armchairs.</p><p>Bella sat on one of the ends of the two sofas, facing the outside windows. She looked at her surroundings distractedly as Peter mirrored her, feeling a slight sense of surprise at the room’s normal-looking disposition. Knowing what she knew about what tended to happen to the people who made a living by venturing into the Zone, it was hard to imagine the blond man before her as having anything to do with it.</p><p>“So, what could a little thing like you possibly be interested in?” Peter asked. He leant forwards, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’ve been retired for a few years now, you know?”</p><p>Bella wrung her hands, thinking back to the short speech she had rehearsed during the day. “I know, my friend already told me. You collaborated with the Institute to get out, right?”</p><p>“That I did.” He relaxed into the sofa’s backrest, lips quirking up. “What can I interest you in?”</p><p>“Aren’t you going to ask how I know about that?” Bella asked, openly curious. “You can’t get many people coming to you if you haven’t gone into the Zone for two years.”</p><p>“Well, it isn’t really relevant, is it?” Peter said confidently. “Judging by your looks I can imagine it’s personal. Nothing to do with the Institute, regardless of your position there.” He tilted his head, looking at her in thought. “Why do you want a Stalker? Surely you can get whatever you want from the Zone officially.”</p><p>“I can’t,” Bella said softly, not quite managing to hide away her surprise. She hadn’t expected him to know her profession, but it didn’t matter if he didn’t think it a problem. “I’m not looking for an artefact to buy or sell. I want to go into the Zone.”</p><p>Peter whistled admiringly. “Go into the Zone? That’s not something you hear too often,” he said. “Why search for me? There are plenty of Stalkers in Forks.”</p><p>She shook her head. It wasn’t that simple. Regardless of what her plans had initially been, she couldn’t venture into the Zone with any Stalker. Not after what Angela had told her. It would have to be the Major, especially if he knew the location of the Golden Sphere. That he was renowned as being exceptionally proficient only made him more important.</p><p>“I’m not looking for just anyone,” Bella said, after a few seconds had gone by. “I’m looking for someone I’ve heard you used to work with—the Major. I want to contact him.”</p><p>Peter inhaled sharply, visibly surprised. His eyes darted away briefly, fixing on one of the framed pictures on the bookshelves before returning to her. “The Major?” he asked, shifting in his seat. “Why would you want him?”</p><p>“Do you really know him?” she asked without thinking.</p><p>“We’ve worked together before, though that doesn’t mean I’ll help people contact him.”</p><p>Bella let out a startled huff. “Why not?”</p><p>“A friend’s a friend, and the Major’s almost like a brother to me,” he said seriously. “Why do you want him?”</p><p>The question made Bella pause. She could try to lie about the reason she had decided to go along with Angela’s suggestion; after all, the Golden Sphere was hardly an uninteresting artefact. Ex-Stalker or not, the man before her had once made a living selling materials from the Zone, and would know who to report her to at the Institute for her enquiry. If he were to catch her lying, however, he could also refuse to help her in any way.</p><p>She decided to take a leap of faith. “I’ve heard that he knows the location of a certain artefact. If he’s willing, I’d like want to travel to it.”</p><p>Peter raised his eyebrows. “And what would said artefact be?” he prompted.</p><p>“The Golden Sphere.” Glancing around, Bella leant forwards. “He knows where it is, doesn’t he? He must, if Aro Volturi is interested.”</p><p>“Is that right?” he breathed. “Tell me, why should I confirm any of that, Miss Swan?”</p><p>“I’m only interested in it personally. I just heard that he’s the only one that can make the way.” She breathed in shakily. Charlie, she had to think of Charlie. “There’s someone that means the world to me; someone I can’t leave behind. I’m only interested in reaching the Wish Machine because of them.”</p><p>Peter raised a sceptical eyebrow at her. “Are you sure you’re interested in the Zone?” he asked. “Everyone knows how it goes. Come back with something, a miracle; come back alive, success; come back with a bullet, good luck. Everything else is fate.”</p><p>Bella clenched her fists. She was completely sure of her decision. There was no other way around it. She had to do this. “I know that. I don’t have any other options.”</p><p>Peter hummed by way of assent, staring at her in thought. “Perhaps I will,” he said slowly. Jumping out of his seat, he marched towards a side table and picked up a mobile phone. “I can’t promise that the Major will agree to your request, but I don’t mind taking you to see him.”</p><p>The rushing sense of relief made Bella feel dizzy. “Are you sure?”</p><p>“I’ve got a good feeling about you, I suppose.”</p><p>“A feeling? That’s all it will take?”</p><p>Peter shrugged as he began to press the phone’s keys, seemingly searching for something through a menu. “Of course. I wouldn’t have ever made it out of the Zone alive if I didn’t.”</p><p>Bella breathed in shakily. “When can I expect you?”</p><p>“I wouldn’t be a good Stalker if I revealed that, would I?” He smirked and began to walk back towards her, gesturing with his phone. “I’ll find you; don’t you worry. Just give me your number.”</p><p>Nodding with her head, Bella pulled out her phone. At the other side of the living room, she heard the blonde woman who had opened the door walk towards them, her posture relaxed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The early morning dew still coated the few strands of grass surrounding the Institute’s hospital when Bella entered. Navigating the hallways surrounding its atrium instinctively, she breathed in the familiar, recycled air. Barely any people roamed the inside of the new, ten story building; likely on account on the hour. The few that did wore almost exclusively the green uniform all medical researchers assigned to the Institute’s medical facility, and had the distant, self-interested air which only scientists specialising in Zone damage seemed to possess.</p><p>A middle-aged woman stopped Bella as she made her way through the third floor. She knew her by sight—she was one of the few workers whose shift started this early on in the morning. Smiling, she addressed Bella politely. “Visiting your father again, Miss Swan?”</p><p>Bella returned the gesture with ease. “I am, it’s been a couple of weeks since my last visit,” she said calmly. It had, though it wasn’t a particularly noteworthy fact. The multiple attempted treatments of Charlie and his usual behind-the-schedule doctor’s appointments often meant irregular visiting hours at best. “How has my father been?”</p><p>The woman’s smile strained as she attempted to contain an obvious grimace. “Oh, he’s been progressing well. He’s been better this week—he recognised one of our researchers just this Monday.”</p><p>“That’s good,” Bella said. A traitorous feeling of hope ran through her. “Will I be able to see him?”</p><p>“I’m afraid not,” the woman said, shaking her head. “He’s been stable so far, but his condition is still far too—ah—delicate for that.” Her smile vanished. “I’m sorry to say you’ll have to use the intercom again.”</p><p>“I understand,” Bella said. Her lower lip trembled. “Thank you again. If he wasn’t here—.”</p><p>“We’re doing our jobs, there’s nothing to thank us for. Not when… well…” She nodded awkwardly and took a few steps away, preparing to leave. “Anyways, I won’t hold you back any longer. Have a good day, Miss Swan.”</p><p>Bella nodded. Looking down, she attempted to regain some semblance of control before she pressed on through the corridor. She shouldn’t have expected to be able to see Charlie. Nothing had changed in the five years that had gone by since the expedition he had been brought back from. No matter what researchers liked to say, she was foolish to expect that to ever change.</p><p>How many of those to have returned from the Zone with an affliction ever saw a solution to their problems? How many Stalker’s children ever lived to see a cure—whatever that meant? None.</p><p>Swallowing the lump in her throat, Bella pressed on. She kept her eyes down, navigating the third floor by memory until she had entered an open room. It wasn’t Charlie’s—it never was—though it was the next best thing.</p><p>Reaching for the dirty handle of one of the many intercoms fixed to the hospital’s white walls, she dialled the room number her father had been kept in since his retrieval. Standing still, Bella waited silently as the dial tone rang, only shifting when the line at the other end was picked up.</p><p>“Room seven-nine-three—Charlie Swan,” a male voice, the new floor’s attendant, said apathetically. “Who is this?”</p><p>Her hand shook. “I’m Bella Swan, his daughter. I wished to speak to him?”</p><p>“One second”</p><p>A click. The line began to ring again, remaining otherwise silent until finally, a full minute later, it came back to life. Her hands trembled. An image of how Charlie had looked when she had first seen him after his ‘accident’ flashed through her mind, almost making her drop it.</p><p>The line remained silent, with only white noise coming through. “Charlie?” Bella asked.</p><p>Nothing. The line remained silent, without a single word on the other side.</p><p>“It’s me, Bella,” she said. “The doctors said you were feeling better today.”</p><p>A dim, grating noise grated from the other side of the intercom. Bella blinked, unable to recognise any sounds distinguishable enough to seem like words.</p><p>She decided to try again. “How have you been?” she asked. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to visit very often lately, but work at the Institute has been taking over almost all of my spare time lately.” It had, much to her chagrin, and Victoria hadn’t allowed her to do anything about it.</p><p>The grating noise continued, chafing and corrosive. A loud groan followed, after which, finally, a guttural and animalistic sound was heard. “Bella?”</p><p>Bella inhaled sharply. “Yes, it’s me.” She looked up as her eyes began to water, attempting to blink the tears away. “Dad, how have you been?”</p><p>Her father’s voice came through again. Rasping, he attempted to repeat her name for a few seconds before a loud clank reverberated across the line. Distantly, the harsh voice of the floor attendant came through, followed by a muffled, pained moan. Standing expectantly, Bella held the intercom’s handle firmly in her hands. Looking away as white noise overtook the line.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Miss Swan, but I’m afraid that your father isn’t feeling well today,” the attendant finally said. Clear, undisguised anger tinged his voice. He was upset. “You will have to return another day. I’m sure you know how difficult these things are.”</p><p>“Of course. I’m sorry for all the trouble.” Her fingers clenched around the intercom’s handle, their tips turning white with the pressure. “Do you know if tomorrow he will be better?”</p><p>“We’re not sure. Probably not,” the man said, attempting to disguise a scoff. “Thank you for your visit, Miss Swan. Have a good day.” Another click followed, and the line went dead.</p><p>Hanging up the intercom’s handle forcibly, Bella closed her eyes. Breathing in shakily, she attempted to calm herself down.</p><p><em>It doesn’t matter, it will be fixed soon. I’ll fix it soon</em>, she brooded. That barely anything had changed since she had started to visit her father didn’t matter. She’d be able to deal with it, now. One way or another.</p><p>Feeling calmer, Bella straightened her back and began to make her way out of the building. Angela and Jessica would be expecting her in town soon, and she couldn’t be late.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Counting the dress Angela was wearing, there were no less than ten articles of clothing in the dressing room. They were dispersed all around the wide, pink room; hanging from the myriad of hanging racks set throughout the room. Outside, barely visible from the dressing room, the sun shined brightly; lighting Fork’s inner streets up in a way uncommon this time of the year.</p><p>Holding up the dress’ white satin, Angela twirled around in front of the single full-length mirror inside the room. “What do you think about this one?” she asked excitedly.</p><p>Jessica was the first one to reply. “It’s pretty, but I’m not quite sure about it. Have you seen all that lace?” Bending forwards, she looked at the dress up and down. “There is a crooked stitch here, besides, and we’re still not sure about how the weather will be. Are you sure about all the bare skin at the back?”</p><p>Bella couldn’t say she agreed. Though the dress Angela had picked wasn’t exactly the sort of piece she could be too happy to wear—a fact not too surprising given her propensities when picking clothes—it was undoubtedly beautiful. The skirt cascaded down to her friend’s ankles, its top hugging her in a way that highlighted her delicate figure.</p><p>“I disagree,” she said drily. “It fits you perfectly.”</p><p>Jessica glared at her, her brows furrowing over her blue eyes. “You can’t be serious, Bella,” she said disapprovingly. “Have you even looked at it?”</p><p>Bella shrugged, not paying too much mind to the other young woman’s words. “I’m just being honest,” she said, observing the young woman. She had changed little since the last time she had seen her nearly four years ago, her change in height being the most noteworthy difference. Her attitude towards her, however, seemed to still be mostly the same.</p><p>Scoffing, Jessica turned to face Angela. “Well, I can’t deny that it looks good on you, but why not try another one, Angela? Better make sure, after all.”</p><p>Angela laughed. “I can’t see how another one would do any damage, though we’ve gone through so many already!”</p><p>“That’s why they’re here for, aren’t they?” Jessica said, smiling sardonically. “It’s your wedding! This needs to be perfect.”</p><p>“I suppose it must.” A slight blush began to appear on Angela’s cheeks, and she laughed again. “I can’t believe the day is so close now.”</p><p>Bella forced herself to smile. Angela hadn’t spoken too much about how the wedding planning was going, limiting herself only to the basic details upon being asked, but it was clear she was excited. She hadn’t asked yet how exactly Ben had proposed, but it was clear by the high-spirited way she talked whenever the topic was mentioned that it had been a very special moment for her. “How is the ceremony planning going?” she asked.</p><p>Jessica beamed at the question. “Yes, you haven’t said! How about the honeymoon, too? Have you got anything planned?”</p><p>“We have, though there’s still a lot to be done.” Her blush deepened, and she brushed the engagement ring on her finger. “As for the honeymoon… I thought that we wouldn’t be able to leave at all, what with the emigration bans, but Ben’s father managed to get a permit for us. We’ll be able to travel beyond Forks. Maybe even abroad.”</p><p>“That’s great!” Jessica exclaimed. “I can’t imagine what sort of strings he had to pull to get that. Didn’t applications get completely shut down?”</p><p><em>They did</em>, Bella thought. They had remained like that ever since the disasters had begun. They were still trying to figure out just why natural disasters seemed to follow the people who emigrated away from the different Zones that had appeared after the Visit, with little luck. The single person to dodge the prohibition she knew of had been the son of Carlisle Cullen, Edward, who she had never really met.</p><p>It was an odd thought. Even if she could afford it, she wouldn’t be able to leave Forks until a legal permit allowed her to do so; a fact which applied to university applications and all sorts of cross-country travel. She had missed her chance. It was too late, even if Charlie were to return to normal again.</p><p>“They did. It still looks like it’ll be a while before anyone figures things out.” Angela said, looked down. A shy smile grew on her lips. “I can’t say I’m not excited, though. Ben and I have talked about so many places! We’ll definitely be going abroad, but we haven’t been able to decide where yet. Maybe Europe, though the Pacific is tempting too.”</p><p>Bella’s phone rang. Startled by the sudden sound, she took it out of her pocket and stared at the unknown number displayed on the screen before glancing at her surprised friends. “Sorry,” she muttered.</p><p>Angela’s eyes bore into hers. “Is it about…?” she asked tentatively. Bella nodded. “Take the call then. It’s important.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Bella said, pressing the green call button on her mobile phone. She walked to a side of the dressing room. “Hello?”</p><p>“Are you in town right now?”</p><p>She blinked. The voice was unmistakably Peter’s, but she wanted to be sure. “Who are you?” she asked.</p><p>He chuckled. “The Captain, Miss Swan,” Peter said straightforwardly. “Are you free? An opportunity has come up. I can take you to see the Major.”</p><p>“Yes, I am,” Bella blurted. She felt her heart begin to race. Distantly, she noticed Jessica’s barely hushed, curious whispers. “Where are you?”</p><p>The sound of a car’s horn rang from the other end of the call. “Perfect,” he said. “Just meet me in front of the public library in five minutes.”</p><p>With that, Peter ended the call. Bella stared at her phone, not knowing what to think. It was Jessica who broke the silence of the dressing room.</p><p>“Who was that?” she asked worriedly. “Are you in trouble?”</p><p>Bella shook her head emphatically. “No. It’s—. Well, it’s something to do with work. I can’t stay.”</p><p>Jessica opened and closed her mouth with disbelief. It didn’t look like she believed her. “Are you serious?” she exclaimed. “We’re supposed to get Angela’s dress today, Bella! Do you care so little that you’d leave? After all this time?”</p><p>Angela raised her hands in a pacifying gesture. “It’s okay, Jess, I know what she’s talking about,” Angela said. She took a few steps towards Bella, looking at her intently. “Was it really…?” she asked, biting her lip.</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>For a few, brief seconds her expression fell. Shakily, attempting to hide her obvious discomfort, she recomposed herself. “It’s okay then, Bella. You can leave.” she said sadly. “It can’t be rearranged, right?”</p><p>“It can’t,” Bella said, smiling sadly. She walked towards one of the many chairs at the sides of the rooms and picked up her bag. “Thank you, Angela. This means a lot to me.”</p><p>Her friend didn’t say anything. Jessica, at the far end of the room, gestured widely as she rose her voice in complaint. “You can’t be serious, Angela! This is important, she can’t just—.”</p><p>Bella walked out of the store and into the street, turning left in order to begin making her way to the public library. Skirting around the different passers-by enjoying the rare, sunny day, she pressed forward. She doubted the man would be too stringent on her arriving one or two minutes late, but she didn’t want to push her luck.</p><p>The ex-Stalker was waiting for her by the time she reached the familiar building. Briefly, Bella was struck at the odd sight. He was dressed simply, with a plain, white shirt underneath a brown leather jacket too thin to keep out the cold. His hair, seemingly tousled by the wind, looked unkept. He didn’t look uncomfortable, though, and instead was clearly at ease in the cold.</p><p>Raising his forearm, Peter made a show out of looking at his wristwatch. “You’re barely in time, Miss Swan,” he said with a smile, keeping his posture relaxed. “If you would follow me.”</p><p>It was a short walk, no more than ten minutes, and by the time their pace began to slow Bella realised that she could not recognise the neighbourhood. Turning into an alleyway barely wide enough to let cars through, they walked past a number of doors. Peter kept his head up as they advanced, keenly aware of their surroundings despite his deceptively loose posture. He was scanning their surroundings, though Bella couldn’t say exactly in search of what.</p><p>The action looked natural on him; the alertness almost instinctive. Surprised, Bella passingly wondered just what it had been that had pushed him to become a Stalker. Profits or no it was practically a vocation, at least for those who managed to make it. It was too dangerous, the personal price to pay too high for anything but pure interest to motivate one’s repeated entry into the Zone.</p><p>“What made you start?” she finally asked, allowing her curiosity to get the better of her.</p><p>Peter smirked. “Start?” he said. “The Major, of course.”</p><p>“How long have you known him?”</p><p>“Oh, we go a long way back, he and I. He was the first person to take me into the Zone, years ago. Teamed up together quite a lot of times.”</p><p>“Oh,” Bella said with a nod. It made sense; it was often the case after all, wasn’t it? Charlie had suggested as much to her, years ago.</p><p>A chill went up her spine at the thought. She could still remember all the warnings he had given her. The Zone, for all its scientific value, was dangerous enough as it was to dare to travel through it—alone or not. There wasn’t a person who didn’t know what had happened to the Leech when she virtually committed suicide on her way back from the Zone, and hadn’t Angela said that she had been the one to introduce the Major into the Zone?</p><p>Seeming to sense the direction of her thoughts, Peter glanced at her. “I don’t know if he’ll take you,” he said, expression carefully neutral, “but I can at least give you this piece of advice. Don’t go beyond the path he indicates. Only backtrack along the steps you’ve taken. Never touch anything around you until it has been deemed safe.”</p><p>For a brief second the sound of Charlie’s voice, too chafing and guttural to be human, echoed loudly in Bella’s head. Bitter-tasting sorrow quickly followed. “What sorts of things can happen?”</p><p>Peter looked up at the blue sky thoughtfully, eventually replying a few seconds later. “A man I once went into the Zone with made the mistake of touching a spiderweb,” he said. “You must understand—there’s nothing alive inside of the Zone, so the fact it was there was surprising enough.”</p><p>“What happened to him?”</p><p>The corners of his lips twisted down. “Oh, he was fine when we left. I’d even say that the trip was a great success, given what we retrieved,” Peter said, “except he had a heart attack about an hour after leaving the Zone.” He turned as Bella froze, horrified, and smiled softly. “We’re almost there, Swan. Place’s around the corner.”</p><p>Swallowing the lump in her throat, Bella nodded and followed him until, eventually, they came to a stop in front of a bar of some sort. Though there was no sign so much as hinting at its being open, Peter pushed the front door open. A bell chimed with the motion, welcoming them into a dusty, dark room with more people than the building’s exterior would have allowed one to guess.</p><p>Not bothering to glance back at her, Peter walked towards the bar at the other side of the room. The bartender, a hulking, brawny man Bella couldn’t recognise, smiled widely as he saw him. “Captain, what a surprise!”</p><p>Peter smiled in return. “Hello to you too, Santiago,” he said. “I’m here on business, I’m afraid. I imagine the Major’s up at the back?”</p><p>“Yes. Third booth from the back,” the man said, nodding. “I’ll warn you, there’s a woman there with him.”</p><p>“Is there?” Peter murmured, drawling slightly. His eyes darted in the direction the man had indicated. “Well. It shouldn’t matter too much, I suppose.”</p><p>Santiago’s eyes looked over Bella. “Are you returning to the business?” he asked cautiously, not addressing her.</p><p>Peter shook his head. “I’m afraid not,” he said calmly. “Thanks again though, Santiago. Maybe I’ll drop by some other day, it’s been quite some time.”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Before Bella knew it, he had begun to walk again. Following after him, she barely looked at her surroundings as he counted the numbers carved by the open doors at the sides of the hallway. It didn’t take them long to stop, and Bella observed in fascination as Peter’s knuckles stopped just short of the door.</p><p>A male voice rang from the inside. Its accent, similar to Peter’s own, only barely noticeable. “I’ve made my choice, Alice.”</p><p>“You’re making a mistake,” a woman said, voice silvery and clear. “Surely you realise that. Your best chance is with us. I know it is. I’m almost certain.”</p><p>Peter knocked on the door. He didn’t wait for a reply, and instead opened it. Strolling casually into the room as the woman who had been talking quieted instantly. Crossing his arms, he allowed his lips to curl into a lopsided smirk as he leant against the wall. “Afternoon, Major.”</p><p>The reaction was instantaneous. The woman, who Bella could only barely see, swirled around brusquely and glared at him. She looked familiar, though she didn’t think she had ever seen her before. She was short and thin, with elegant features and cropped black hair. Her clothes, though simple and elegant, were the sort Bella wouldn’t have been able to afford. A man—the Stalker Peter had agreed to take her to, judging by the direction he was facing in—was sitting on a chair behind her, far into the room. The angle such that, from the position Bella stood at, she wasn’t able see anything beyond his shoes.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” the woman asked, frustration plain in her voice.</p><p>Peter gestured lazily. “I think I’m the one that should be asking that, Alice,” he drawled. “Besides, can’t I visit an old friend?”</p><p>The woman frowned. Her eyes widened as she looked at Bella, focusing on her for a few, brief moments before turning to face the man inside the room again. “Remember what I said,” she said harshly, expression hardening. “You won’t have many other opportunities. You can’t ignore us forever.”</p><p>A moment of silence followed, after which the woman’s expression fell. Not sparing the man a glance, she stormed out of the room. Peter followed her with his eyes, only looking away once she was completely out of sight. Slouching for the first time in the day, he pushed himself off the wall and walked into the room.</p><p>“I didn’t quite expect to see her here, Major,” he said calmly, gesturing for Bella to follow after him. “What is it this time? Did Demetri contact you again?”</p><p>The Stalker sighed. “He did, though we haven’t reached an agreement yet,” he said. His voice was low and clear, confident, though it was apparent in how it trailed off that he was tired. “It isn’t them this time. She was here over something else.”</p><p>Bella stepped inside as Peter hummed in assent, taking in the sight of the Stalker she had asked about days ago. He was blond, much like Peter himself, if taller and leaner. Scars showed prominently on his neck and arms, covering the skin that wasn’t veiled away by the simple t-shirt he wore. He couldn’t have been much older than her.</p><p>It was clearly from his taut posture that he was aware of her presence, though he didn’t spare her a glance. “Who did you bring, Captain?”</p><p>“Easy, Major,” Peter said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “She came to me a few days ago.”</p><p>The man’s eyes, a strange, orange-like tawny, blazed as they glared at Peter. “Why?” he asked pointedly.</p><p>“The Zone,” Peter replied. His smile widened. “Imagine my shock when she specifically asked after you, too.”</p><p>The Stalker’s eyes narrowed. “What is your name?” he asked, finally looking at her.</p><p>Bella found herself taken aback at the intensity of the gaze. She tried to force herself to relax. “Bella Swan,” she replied.</p><p>The Stalker nodded minutely. Silently evaluating her, he didn’t say a word until, a few seconds later, his posture loosened. “You know that I don’t always agree to take people to the Zone, Peter.”</p><p>“I’ve got a good feeling about her, Major.”</p><p>Something about the words seemed to relax the Stalker further. “Alright, I’ll hear her out,” he said, nodding again. “I imagine you won’t stay?”</p><p>Peter nodded. “I’m afraid that I’ve got some things to do, else Charlotte will have my head.” Turning around, he clasped Bella’s shoulder. “Just state your case,” he said encouragingly, right before taking a few steps towards the open door and offering the Stalker another smile. “Come by my place one of these days, Major. It’s been a while.”</p><p>“Maybe,” the Stalker said. The answer seemed to please Peter, who only raised his eyebrows before finally walking out of the small room, door closing behind him.</p><p>Bella shut her eyes, suddenly unsure of what to say or do. The Stalker, either unaware or aloof from her discomfort, leant back into his seat, seemingly content to stare. It was a full minute before she dared to open her eyes again, finally determined face the man Angela had told her about.</p><p>“You’re the Major?”</p><p>“I am,” he said. “Why are you interested in the Zone?</p><p>Bella fidgeted. “Well,” she began to say, glancing around the room. Her eyes fell to one of the empty chairs on the far side. “Could I take a seat? I’m not sure how long this will take.”</p><p>The Stalker shrugged. Taking the gesture as consent, Bella walked to a rickety-looking chair and took a seat, inhaling deeply. For the first time since arriving, she took in the disposition and appearance of the room. It was small and sparsely decorated, either due to lack of money or purposefully, in order to keep the room as simple as possible. No particularly notable pieces of furniture had been laid out inside the room, which instead only seemed to contain a set of chairs arranged into a semicircle and a single low table.</p><p>“So?” the Stalker pressed, leaning forwards.</p><p>“I’ve heard that you know where the Golden Sphere is,” Bella said, jutting her jaw. “I need to travel to it.” She forced herself to continue. “I’m not interested in its location or in selling it. I only want it to grant a wish—it can do that, right?”</p><p>The Stalker’s eyes widened, and Bella felt a brief pang of pride at the way her words had managed to shock the man. “It can,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Though it’s a bit more complicated than that.”</p><p>“Why is that?” Bella asked, curious. It wasn’t called the Wish Machine for anything, though she hadn’t read any of the Institute’s reports. “What does it do?”</p><p>“It doesn’t grant wishes; it doesn’t work like that. It grants desires—deep ones,” the Stalker explained. He paused, regarding her for a few, brief seconds before continuing. “You do realise that there are better options, right?”</p><p>“Not for me,” Bella confessed. “This is my only chance. My last chance. If there was anything else I could do, I’d have done it by now.”</p><p>She flinched at her own words. It wasn’t something she liked considering or thinking about too much, but it was true. The changes that awaited her at the Institute would likely make her living situation all the worse in just a few months. On top of that, she had missed her chance to both attend university and emigrate away from Forks. There was nothing she could do. Not if she wanted to help Charlie.</p><p><em>Can I trust this man, though?</em> she wondered. He was certainly capable enough—looked it, too. Had to be, if he had survived this long—whatever else was happening in his personal life was irrelevant.</p><p>The direness of her situation rekindled the confidence that had first pushed her to share her thoughts with Angela. “I don’t care about any of the side effects or about what may happen to me, or even about you, just about reaching the Golden Sphere. Will you take me?”</p><p>The Major studied Bella in silence for a moment before shifting in his seat, satisfied with whatever it was he had seen. “You’re in luck,” he said. “You’ve come at an appropriate time. I’ll likely be travelling to the Golden Sphere very soon.”</p><p>“I do?” Bella muttered, startled. As the man nodded, she felt herself begin to smile. “Thank you. You don’t know what this means to me. How will payment work?”</p><p>“It’s no problem.” The Stalker moved to stand up. “There are still some missing pieces, but I will contact you when the time comes.”</p><p>Bella’s heart thundered in her chest. “What if I need to contact you first?”</p><p>“You won’t.” He stopped by the door and, tilting his head, glanced back at her. A few strands of hair fell over his eyes with the motion, concealing them slightly. “I’ll call you.”</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bella stood still under the spray of water. The floral scent of her shower gel permeated the air around her, delicate and sweet, slowly growing heavier as the shower steam began to fill up the bathroom. Rivulets of water ran down her body as she tilted her head up towards the shower head. Tilting her head up towards the shower head, she closed her eyes. Focusing on the water running down her body as she willed herself to briefly forget the reason why she was taking a shower this early in the morning.</p><p>Steam had begun to condense on the shower’s metallic handle by the time she cut the water. Pulling the plastic curtains to a side, Bella stepped out of the cubicle and put on her bathrobe. She dried her skin hurriedly, picking up her hair drier before directing herself to her bedroom. Sitting down on her bed, she towel-dried her hair before plugging in the machine, skin prickling in the cold air.</p><p>Thirty minutes had passed by the time Bella was ready to leave her house. Fidgeting nervously, she verified she had everything she needed in her bag and looked over the clothes she had chosen to wear. Her coat, a dark, impermeable piece she wore often, was flexible enough to allow free movement. Her boots, sturdy and worn, almost reached up to her knee; offering protection from the cold, damp weather March often brought to Forks.</p><p><em>I’m ready</em>, Bella thought, nodding to herself. She really was. The variety of objects the Stalker had told her to bring along were tucked safely inside of her bag, and she had taken care of everything Angela had recommended to close at work.</p><p>Exiting her flat, she walked down the staircase leading down to the building’s vestibule. Grimacing with discomfort at the cold, damp air outside, she darted towards her red truck. Pulling its door open, she allowed herself a moment to glance at the sky before sitting at the driver’s seat. Dawn had begun to rise, tinging the clouds a pale pink against the sky’s increasingly light blues.</p><p>Bella swallowed uncomfortably as she sat at the driver’s seat and turned on the ignition key. Her heart raced as she drove off her street, cutting through the near-empty roads as she slowly directed herself to the bar the Stalker had told her to meet him at.</p><p>It didn’t take her long to arrive.</p><p>It was an odd place, more so than the one she had met the Stalker at. The streets surrounding it looked rundown, their roads cracked. Mud caked much of the sidewalks, interspersed only by what few, abandoned pieces of rotting furniture had been discarded along their length. The walls, though mostly clean, were dotted by posters whitened with sunlight. Beyond them, rising tall and imposing above the area, towered the fences and barbed encasing the Zone. It looked derelict, just like many of the other streets that bordered the Zone. A fact brought about both through the strange, rarefied air that blew from the area and the economic abandonment that the very proximity to it had entailed.</p><p>Parking her truck at a nearby corner, Bella approached the single bar in the street. Breathing in deeply, she pushed its door open, not allowing herself a moment to hesitate before stepping into the clean, minimalistic space.</p><p>It was empty; or almost, anyways. A lone barman leant against a wall, smoking a cigarette. Near him, sitting by a window-side table, was a couple. The man, tall and burly, towered above her; dark, curly hair clashing with his otherwise pale skin. The woman, slim and elegant, was leaning against him; her long, blonde hair covering the arm wrapped around her waist.</p><p>Bella ignored them. Instead, she looked around the room in search of the tall, blond man who had agreed to take her to the Zone.</p><p><em>He isn’t here</em>, she thought.</p><p>Feeling surprised, she walked towards the barman. If someone was to know where the man she was expecting to see was it’d have to be him. “The Major…?”</p><p>The dark-haired man replied before the barman so much as lifted an eyebrow. Swerving abruptly, he looked at her with an openly curious expression. “You’re also here for the Zone?” he asked loudly.</p><p>Hesitantly, Bella turned to face them. She nodded. “I am,” she said honestly. “I didn’t know there’d be more people.”</p><p>The man nodded. “Neither did I, really, though I suppose the Major didn’t really say. Two is rare enough, but I suppose this time it’s a bit different,” he said, smiling. At his side, the blonde woman pressed her lips into a thin line. “Take a seat here, if you want. It could still be quite a while before anyone shows.”</p><p>Bella smiled tentatively and began to make her way towards them. “Thank you.”</p><p>“I’m Emmett,” the man said as she sat across from them, “and the lovely woman at my side is my wife, Rosalie.”</p><p>“Bella,” she replied quickly, nodding politely at the blonde. “Are you also…?”</p><p>Emmett interrupted her. “A Stalker? Not at all, though I suppose you could say I’ve known—ah—the Major for a while.” His tone shifted at the Stalker’s nickname. “What brought you here? I’ve never seen you around before.”</p><p>“I just contacted the Major recently. I was searching for a Stalker to take me into the Zone.”</p><p>“He agreed?” Emmett asked, quickly sharing a look with his wife. “That’s not something you hear too often. What did you tell him?”</p><p>The bar’s door opened before she could reply. A loud bang reverberated throughout the room as it crashed against the wall. Bella froze as she turned to look at the newcomers. It was impossible not to recognise the man who had been in Victoria’s office.</p><p><em>What is he doing here?</em> she thought frantically.</p><p>The man’s eyes widened with recognition. He smirked, eyebrows rising, and stepped away from his companion. “Bella Swan, what a surprise. What could have possibly brought you here, too?”</p><p>“James,” Emmett said harshly, rising from his seat. “You know how these things work. No names.”</p><p>“Don’t interfere,” James said, waving his hand dismissively.</p><p>“I mean it,” Emmett warned. “I didn’t expect you to worm your way into this one. I know for a fact that the Major dislikes you. What did you promise for him to agree to take you on?”</p><p>“Nothing,” James said, crossing his arms. He quirked an eyebrow up. “Think what he may, the Major had little choice but to agree.”</p><p>“That doesn’t should too likely,” Emmett said, crinkling his nose. He glanced at the other man dubiously. “Did he agree to him, too?”</p><p>A huff. “No, but the matter is settled. Laurent will go wherever I do.” His lips twisted upwards when Emmett didn’t respond. He walked towards the barman, seemingly intent on ordering something. The other, dark-haired man followed behind him.</p><p>Emmett shook his head. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing,” he muttered quietly, retaking his seat. His wife leant towards him almost immediately, grabbing hold of his hand. “He won’t like it at all.”</p><p>Bella followed the motion silently, observing as Rosalie leant towards her husband and grabbed his hand comfortingly. Her eyes darted to James, who was now drinking from a glass of clear liquid. “Do you know him?” she asked, surprised.</p><p>“You could say he’s got a bit of a reputation,” Emmett said wryly. He patted her gently on the back. “Don’t worry. There are certain rules people follow with this. He won’t say your name. He shouldn’t, anyways. If he does, I can promise you that there’ll be consequences.”</p><p>“Have you seen him before?” Rosalie asked, speaking for the first time.</p><p>Bella grimaced. “Not really, he just knows my boss at—. Well—.”</p><p>Rosalie’s eyes softened. She opened her mouth, seemingly ready to add something to Emmett’s words, when the bar’s door opened again. Her eyes darted above Bella’s head, and, smiling, stood up. Bella followed her action, quickly finding herself facing the Stalker Peter had introduced her to. He was dressed differently this time, the dark coat he wore reaching just past his waist. His posture far tenser than what she could remember.</p><p>“Major,” James said sweetly, standing at the other side of the bar. “I assume we can leave at last?”</p><p>The Stalker ignored him. Instead, he eyed the different people inside the bar before gesturing at Laurent sharply with his head. “What’s he doing here?”</p><p>“Do you need to ask?” James said. “He’s joining us. He wanted to accompany me.”</p><p>The Major’s expression remained closed. Coldly, he regarded the strange man before shaking his head. “He won’t,” he said, his accent obvious. “Leave.”</p><p>“Don’t bluff. You know what your situation is,” James sneered. “We practically own you.”</p><p>The Major remained still. “Whatever Victoria told you to do is completely irrelevant to me,” he said impassively, tone of voice commanding. “You know the deal. Either he goes, or the both of are out. My word is final.”</p><p>James clenched and unclenched his jaw. His face flushed. Baring his teeth, he took a step towards the Stalker, seemingly ready to speak when Laurent grabbed him by the shoulder. The action made him stop abruptly, distracting him away from his anger enough to recompose himself.</p><p>“Fine,” he spat, turning to look at the dark-haired man. “Laurent, go.” The man nodded and left, glancing only briefly at the Stalker before stepping out of the door. “When will we leave?” he asked, stepping further away from the counter.</p><p>“Soon enough. I assume everything is ready?”</p><p>James’ eyes narrowed. “Of course.” He began to walk towards the door and opened it roughly. “I’ll be waiting outside,” he said, stepping outside.</p><p>The Stalker nodded and turned to face Emmett and Rosalie. His expression softened immediately. “It’s been a while, Rose,” he said, after a few moments of silence.</p><p>“Take care of Emmett,” Rosalie said, nodding. “Don’t let anything happen to him.”</p><p>The Major smiled lightly. “I’ll do my best,” he said, the honesty in his words plain.</p><p>Emmett laughed. A grin blossomed on his face as he turned to face Rosalie. “I’ll be alright, babe. It will only be a few days at most.”</p><p>Rosalie’s eyes watered. Nodding curtly, she leant towards the burly man and pulled him into a tight hug, whispering something softly. Though Bella couldn’t hear what she was saying, the meaning of her words was clear—‘come back to me’.</p><p>Bella stepped away, not wanting to intrude on the pair. Fidgeting with the strap of her bag, she approached the Stalker. “Is there anything I need to do?” she asked softly.</p><p>The Major regarding her silently, much like he had when they had first met. After a few moments, his expression mellowed. “Not for now, Bella,” he said. “Just follow me.”</p><p>She nodded. “Yes, Major.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The shouts of the guards faded as the small trolley-like railcar advanced through the decaying train tracks, clanking rhythmically as it crossed the security fences encasing the Zone. A trail of smoke followed behind them as the petrol fuelling the machine’s engine burnt away, dark underneath the midday sun. What shadows they had hid in whilst sneaking their way past the security outpost and all but vanished, making the desperate sets of gunshots of the few guards had been posted at the security checkpoint seem all the stranger.</p><p>Bella frowned, confused. “Why aren’t following us?” she asked, looking back at the receding town behind them. “Can’t they catch up with us?”</p><p>“They won’t, they fear the Zone like the plague,” Emmett said with a laugh. He was sitting beside her, face angled up to the sky. “They’re too scared of what might happen if they follow anyone into it.”</p><p>Bella hummed in agreement, gazing at the slowly changing landscape around them in thought. It made sense, though it didn’t make it any less strange. “Will we only have to get through them again when we try to leave?”</p><p>“That’s right,” Emmett confirmed. “Getting around patrols can be nasty, and sometimes involves a lot of waiting. Still, that’ll be a problem for later.”</p><p>Behind them, James huffed. He was sitting at the back of the railcar, seemingly absorbed in the distant line of trees and foliage. A creased piece of paper, words and images partially faded, was held tightly in his hands. “We won’t have to,” he said, lips twisting upwards. “Arrangements have been made for when we retrieve the Golden Sphere.”</p><p>“Arrangements? Of what sort?” Emmett asked, openly curious.</p><p>James’ fingers tightened around the paper. “Of the sort that don’t concern you,” he said, voice harsh. “Mind your own business.”</p><p>Emmett scoffed and turned to face the Stalker. “Is it true, Major?” he asked, a tinge of suspicion evident in his voice.</p><p>The blond man at the front of the small railcar looked over his shoulder, contemplating them briefly before answering. “It is,” he said lowly. “Though it won’t be a problem if it fails, either.”</p><p>“That’s good,” Emmett said, visibly relieved.</p><p>The sound of Charlie’s, chafed, guttural voice rang in Bella’s head. <em>That is if we make it</em>, she thought traitorously. It was possible—she knew the stories first-hand, and Peter had made sure to remark as much on the topic in their first meeting.</p><p>Distantly, as the railcar continued clanking along the train tracks, she focused on the landscape around her. The nature around her didn’t look any different from that around Forks itself. The sun shined like it was supposed to, illuminating everything equally brightly, and wind swept through the blades of grass with a soothing tranquillity.</p><p>It was hard to accept that they were almost completely inside of the Zone, even with the receding sight of the fences and barbed wire encasing the area. It would have been easy, even with their odd method of transport, to take a look around and think that everything was okay. Only the emptiness surrounding them on all sides gave the nature of the place away. There was no one around, neither living nor dead. The buildings that had survived the Visit, lonesome and desolate, all laid in a state of slow abandon. Despite this none been visibly overtaken by the plants and vegetation crawling around the old, paved streets. The stacks of sawn wood by the metallic storage buildings seemingly untouched by fifteen years’ worth of Forks’ rainy weather.</p><p>Bella swallowed nervously, not knowing what to make of the strangely normal sight. The different anecdotes about the Visit she had studied had painted the Zone differently, enough to disconnect what she saw from the photographs that had been taken after the event. The houses in the neighbourhood that had been nicknamed the Plague Quarter, though peeling and lifeless, had all of their windows intact. The faint, blue glow radiating their inside—‘hell slime’, or so the book had said, like the one the Leech had thrown herself into—being the only unusual detail in the otherwise normal street. The same thing went for the rows of houses that had seen their in habitants go blind, which were all otherwise unaffected.</p><p>“This is where it starts, right? That’s the marker,” Emmett said suddenly.</p><p>Bella jolted into awareness, startled by the tall man’s voice. Glancing towards him, she looked towards the fallen cable posts only barely ahead of them.</p><p>“It is,” the Major agreed.</p><p>Reaching forwards, he pulled a lever. A loud rattling noise clanged from underneath the small railcar, which slowly began to come to a stop. Keenly alert, he looked at the area they had come to a stop at, until, seemingly satisfied, he gestured for them to stand up.</p><p>“This is as far as it is safe to go on this,” he said. “The rest we go by foot.”</p><p>Bella nodded. Stretching her joints, she grabbed her bag and jumped off the railcar, following behind Emmett and James. Following them, the Major breathed in deeply. His features softened, and for a moment he looked calmer than Bella had ever seen him. He looked alive; more so than he had been on their way here. As if he felt at home.</p><p>It didn’t last long. Taking a few steps forwards, the opened a bag and began to take out a number of square nuts and pieces of white linen. Once he was finished, he handed them to Emmett. “Could you help me, Emmett?”</p><p>“Tie the linen around the centre, you mean?” The dark-haired man smiled. “Sure thing. Just give me a second.”</p><p>He nodded and began to walk away from the train tracks, towards a small grove of trees at their left. “I will be right back,” he said, looking at the three of them. “Don’t go anywhere.”</p><p>Bewildered, Bella approached Emmett as he looped and tied the white pieces of fabric around the metallic nuts’s centre. Her eyes following the Stalker’s retreating form. “Where is he going?” she asked.</p><p>Emmett smiled again. “He wants to be alone, I guess.”</p><p>“Why?” she asked again. She looked at the deserted landscape around them. “Even with just four of us here?”</p><p>“I imagine he wants to have a look at the area alone before we properly set off,” Emmett said easily. “It’s hard to tell with a Stalker—being one is like a sort of calling. They can be a bit strange.”</p><p>“Oh.” She paused, not fully certain of what to say in response to the odd remark, and instead focused on the growing number of tied nuts. “What are those for, too?”</p><p>“Exploring the Zone,” he replied. “Without them we wouldn’t manage to get very far. Not safely, anyways.”</p><p>“We wouldn’t manage to get anywhere at all,” James derided, still standing at the side of the railcar. “We’d all fall into the same trap. At least this way only one of us will be risking their skin at a time, if that.”</p><p>Bella hummed thoughtfully. “The traps change, don’t they?”</p><p>She had heard as much on occasion at the Institute. What had been deemed safe at one point could inexplicably turn deadly hours later, its nature changed completely.</p><p>“That’s right,” Emmett confirmed. “The Zone’s always changing. Enter and it may allow you an easy way through. Enter another time, and that same path may have changed completely.”</p><p>“Stalker tales,” James jeered. “There is always a way through the Zone for those that know how to advance,” he said, gesturing around them. “The days of exploring this place by foot, will soon be over.”</p><p>Emmett frowned, but otherwise said nothing. Bella stood still besides him, watching as James began to rummage through his own bag.</p><p>It sounded too good to be true, no matter what the rumours floating around the Institute were. She could believe the tales about how most of the laboratory assistant positions would be seeing their likely end soon, but exploring the Zone was another matter. There had been attempts before—many of them, and all had met the same disastrous end. Neither Carlisle Cullen, Eleazar Denali, nor Aro Volturi and his brothers had managed it with all of their resources and expertise. Whatever machines had been sent in had never made it back.</p><p>A small, self-satisfied smirk grew on James’ lips when he found the object he had been searching for. He pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and tucked it into his belt. Closing his bag, he unfolded the piece of paper he had been holding tightly and began to look over it intently, ignoring Emmett’s look of surprise.</p><p>A full five minutes passed by the time the Major returned. His eyes narrowed as he saw the weapon. “That won’t be of any use to you here,” he warned.</p><p>“So you say,” James sneered. He gestured at the creased paper. “I have the map—I’ll carry it if I want.”</p><p>The Stalker didn’t reply. Instead, he walked towards Emmett and picked the assortment of nuts. “Thank you, Emmett,” he said.</p><p>The other man grinned. “It’s no problem,” he said. “These will be enough, right?”</p><p>A nod. “They will,” the Major said. He approached the railcar and pulled the lever again. The engine machine groaned and, slowly, it began to move backwards, away from them.</p><p>Bella inhaled sharply. “Won’t we need it to return?” she asked, surprised.</p><p>He met her eyes. “We won’t be returning here,” he said simply. Turning around, he looked at James, hands tightening imperceptibly around the tied white linen. “We’ll do as we agreed,” he finally said. “I’ll show the direction—any deviation from it is dangerous.” He pointed to their right, away from the grove of trees, towards a final, abandoned house. “James, you’ll go first.”</p><p>The man scowled immediately. “No,” he said. His fingers tightened around the paper in his hands. “I have the map. I will go last.”</p><p>Bella observed as the Major stood straighter as he talked, widening his stance. “First,” he commanded, tone of voice the same as it had been that morning. He gestured at the direction he had pointed at again. “You know how this works. The Stalker goes last.”</p><p>James’ jaw clenched. Expression twisting, he glared at the Stalker for a few, disquieting seconds before walking towards him. Taking some of the nuts Emmett had tied linen to, he handed over the creased piece of paper. “No funny business,” he warned. “I know that map by heart.”</p><p>The Major ignored him. Turning to look at Bella and Emmett again, he nodded in the direction James had begun to walk. “Try to follow in his footsteps,” he said more calmly. “If you need to return, be careful to follow the same trail you walked through.”</p><p>Emmett nodded. Stepping forwards, he stretched his arm and gestured at the nuts. “I’ll go second,” he said, taking a large part of the ones that remained before smiling at her. “Bella, you can go third.”</p><p>Bella nodded. She glanced back only once before following after him, taking in the sight of the train tracks that had taken them into the Zone. As she walked, she kept her eyes fixed on the ground beneath her, intent to avoid tripping or falling down. The two men in front of her walked carefully, leaving a clear-cut trail of trampled grass behind them.</p><p>It didn’t take them long to reach the abandoned house. “Now left—towards the utility pole by the forest. Once we get to it we will change of path,” the Major directed. He looked at James. “The Golden Sphere’s within an abandoned sawmill some miles away.”</p><p>The other man nodded. He readied a nut and, taking a step back, threw it into the air. Emmett tensed at the sight. The piece of metal rose, ploughing through the air before falling a few yards away.</p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p>“It’s clear. Continue and repeat,” the Stalker said from his position behind Bella. He turned to look at Emmett. “Emmett, keep an eye out for anything strange. Throw the nuts if anything catches your eye.”</p><p>Emmett shifted the nuts he was carrying so that one was ready in his hand. “Of course,” he said good-naturedly.</p><p>James, standing at the front of the line, clenched his fists and began to make his way to the fallen nut. Bella followed carefully, taking cautious steps through the trail the man was making. Her heart began to race as he picked up the nut and threw it again. The heavy piece of hardware ploughed through the air again and fell atop a bare strip of dirt just beyond them. There were no traps; the way was safe.</p><p>The process repeated itself as time began to crawl by, with James and Emmett alternating the task that was throwing the nuts forwards. They advanced at a sedate pace, at most only having to make a detour around some of the more suspicious-looking areas they came across. By the time they had reached the utility pole the wind seemed to have died down completely. Barely any sounds could be heard in the background at all. Instead, the area seemed filled with a silence made eerie through the total lack of any animal life.</p><p>Bella felt herself growing more awake the further they ventured into the Zone. It was an odd, unexpected feeling, which had overpowered the fear and tension that had dominated her before. It was as if she were seeing colour after a lifetime of dull greys and muted sepia tones; as if she were stepping into a watering hole, vibrant and verdant, after spending all her life in a desert. It was completely unlike the streets she had grown so accustomed to traversing in Forks.</p><p>It was obvious even from a mere glance at her three companions that she wasn’t alone in feeling at ease. It was clear from the way he walked that the Major felt comfortable; his steps smooth as he advanced through the trail, silently aware of everything around him. The sight contrasted with the way James held himself, tense and awkward as he took short, measured steps forwards.</p><p>Two hours must have passed before they reached a cluster of rocks that signalled, apparently, their entry into the forest. The temperature dropped as they began to walk beneath the shade of the tall pine trees, following a small rivulet which trickled down a sloping hill. The Major remained taciturn, only speaking whenever the needed to give an order or a command. Still, for all the spiteful glares his attitude seemed to generate in James he wasn’t unfair. His words, direct and grave, showing just how seriously he took his role.</p><p>Feeling intrigued, Bella neared Emmett as they walked past an abandoned log cabin. “Is he always like this?” she whispered, glancing back at the Stalker.</p><p>Emmett let out a chuckle. “I haven’t dealt with him enough to be able to say, but yes. The Major’s all business when it comes to the Zone—it’s why there’s no one better.”</p><p>She nodded, silently following after him until, finally, they neared an abandoned warehouse enclosed by large mounds of gravel. Though largely metallic, its sides had been painted a bright green that looked too bright to be natural. Its roof, worn and covered with a thick coat of damp, rotting leaves, had partially rusted. A large, gaping hold could be seen on its other side.</p><p>“Stop,” the Major said.</p><p>“It looks normal. Nothing seems to be out of place,” Emmett said.</p><p>The Major shook his head. “No. Something’s off,” he said, looking at the mounds. He walked up to James. “Throw another one,” he ordered.</p><p>Not questioning his words, the other man threw a first nut. It flew a short way before landing about eight yards away. Nothing changed.</p><p>“Another one.”</p><p>James nodded. Narrowing his eyes, he took a step forwards and threw a second nut. It flew further away, landing just beyond the first one. Frowning, James threw a third one, clearly suspicious as well. He relaxed minutely as it landed right by one of the mounds of gravel, seemingly unaffected.</p><p>“Should we advance?” Emmett asked.</p><p>The Major nodded. “Yes, until the third one.”</p><p>They walked forwards. Bella felt her heart begin to race as they passed the first, second, and third nuts. There was something strange about the area—a strange lightness to the air that made the clearing feel otherworldly.</p><p>Unprompted, Emmett threw the fourth nut. It didn’t fly quite right—something about the trajectory it had followed up in the air had been off.</p><p>“Stop,” the Major ordered. He took a fifth nut. “Don’t move.”</p><p>He threw it higher. The metallic piece of hardware rose naturally through the air, sailing undisturbed until, halfway down, it looked like something tugged it off to the side, pulling it so hard that it swerved to the right abruptly.</p><p>Emmett exhaled loudly. “A graviconcentrate,” he said, sounding relieved. “Good thing we spotted it.”</p><p>Bella held her breath and nodded. Her posture tensed as she looked at the mounds in front of them. There were no visual cues so much as hinting at the presence of a trap. “Where to now?” she asked.</p><p>The Major shifted his gaze back to her briefly before silently turning to look at the abandoned building. A few seconds went by before he replied. “Around,” he said. “I don’t like the look of this area.”</p><p>“It’s the quickest way through,” James immediately retorted. “Any path around this clearing will add hours we can’t afford.”</p><p>The Major frowned. “We will go around,” he repeated. “A graviconcentrate here, this close, is bad. Going by the look of those shadows there are bug traps further ahead, too. If you want to get to the Golden Sphere you will wait and go around it.”</p><p>“That won’t work. We would be reaching it by nightfall, if that. It will ruin the arrangements for our return.”</p><p>Emmett stepped towards the other man. “Even so, James,” he said. “What is a few more hours? If we can only reach it tomorrow, then there’s nothing we can do but wait.”</p><p>James’ eyes narrowed. Grinding his teeth, he reached into his bag and retrieved the map. “No, the map is clear,” he said, unfolding it. “This is the best path through. The Leech wrote it down perfectly. The alternatives to the clearing are—.”</p><p>“A map is never fully reliable in the Zone—it goes against its nature,” the Stalker interrupted. “Especially one that was made by the Leech.”</p><p>“So you say,” James said disparagingly. “You’ve arranged trips to the Golden Sphere on a number of occasions—you know the way better than anyone. How could you not, with your ties to her?”</p><p>Emmett raised his hands. “Be reasonable. You know that—.”</p><p>James ignored him. “You’ve never liked the fact that you’ve been forced to collaborate with the Institute, Major. That the Volturi and other high officials are the ones giving orders must be killing you.” A mocking smile grew on his lips, and he turned to face the abandoned building. “No, I know better. We either cross here or nowhere. You’re finished—just like your teacher.”</p><p>Impassively, the Stalker met the other man’s eyes. Bella felt her blood freeze at the sight. It was clear that he was angry, even with his lack of an outwards reaction. It was all there; in the way he had flattened his lips and jutted his chin ever so slightly. His near-tawny eyes blazing as they bore into the other man’s more natural ones.</p><p>“Go ahead,” he said coldly—calmly. “Though I’ve warned you.”</p><p>“I think I will,” James said mirthlessly. “I’ll be reporting this trick of yours when we’re back.”</p><p>With that he turned and began to advance. Bella held her breath as he passed by the mounds, right by where the fifth nut the Major had thrown had veered off course and disappeared. Nothing happened. Emboldened by his success, James took it as a good sign. Glancing down briefly at the map, he approached the warehouse.</p><p>“Nothing happened,” she muttered. Nothing in the clearing had so much as given a hint that it would, and were it not for what had happened to the nut she wouldn’t have even expected it to. <em>Does the Zone change that quickly?</em> she wondered, amazed.</p><p>The Major looked at her, as if sensing her train of thought. “It will,” he said softly. “There’s something strange around that warehouse—something with its shadow.”</p><p>Bella nodded. Beyond her, James had just crossed the mounds encircling the building. He came to a stop in front of a side door and looked back at them, twisted smile still in place. “See?” he called.</p><p>The wind picked up again, making the leaves of the trees around the clearing rustle along with it. James looked at the map again. Confidently, he nodded to himself and touched the warehouse’s side door</p><p>It happened in an instant.</p><p>A loud whiz rang through the air. The air shifted, suddenly heavier. Startled, James only managed to gasp before he was sent careening up. There was a loud, sickening crack followed by a slow, wet tearing. James’ scream became a gurgle, and Bella saw the sky through him.</p><p>The acidic, acrid taste of vomit rose through Bella’s throat. Stumbling to a side, she swallowed it down and made to lean on a nearby tree trunk, too queasy to stand.</p><p>The Stalker’s hand shot to her arm immediately. “Don’t touch anything. Don’t forget where you are,” he exclaimed, grabbing her roughly.</p><p>Bella gasped and nodded, shifting back into the line. Wrapping her arms around her own stomach, she attempted to stand straight, pointedly avoiding the sight of James. Breathing hollowly, Emmett neared her and wrapped a hand around her shoulders. She leant into him, allowing the taller man to hold the majority of her weight as she shook.</p><p>“What do we do now?” Emmett asked, looking at the Stalker.</p><p>The Stalker stood still. A breeze whipped through the clearing, his hair blowing wildly with it. “There’s nothing we can do,” he said steadily, eyes fixed on the warehouse. “We’ll take a detour around this area and rest come night-time. We can reach the Golden Sphere tomorrow.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bella felt dazed as they approached the cave. It was a strange place, and one that had taken them hours of heavy, tense walking to reach. Half-frozen slush covered much of the ground outside of the cave-like structure standing at the base of a hill. Its insides were dark, barely lit by the setting sun. Tall, old pine trees grew in a circle around it, hiding the plain-looking area away from the path they had taken as a detour through the forest. It was cold, excessively so. The dark insides of the cave, noticeably damp and humid, made the place seem even colder.</p><p>Her breath came out in frost, barely visible under the moonlight. “Is it safe?” she asked.</p><p>Emmett threw a nut. Bella followed its trail attentively, breathing a sigh of relief as it fell normally before the entrance of the cave. Her shoulders slumped as the Stalker nodded, deeming the area safe. They would finally be able to stop and rest for the night, or for as long as the environment they were in remained the same.</p><p>The Major was the first to step forwards. “It’s safe,” he said, peering into the cave. “We’ll likely be able to stay here until dawn. “It’s best to avoid travelling through the Zone during the night—the lack of light can complicate things.”</p><p>Bella drew a breath as they entered the cave. It was cold, though not as much as she had expected. The layout of the protrusion into the ground shielded its insides from much of the cold outside; its air, though uncomfortably clammy, far more bearable than the cutting chill outside. She pulled her coat tighter around herself as she sat on the floor, within a partially sheltered nook. They wouldn’t be able to light a fire—it wasn’t safe to do so, and that alone was one of the most discomforting facts awaiting them in the night ahead.</p><p>Emmett approached her leisurely, not bothering to hide his steps. “Take out whatever blanket you packed in your bag whilst you still can,” he said. “The cold may not be too noticeable whilst you move, but sitting down is another story.”</p><p>Bella nodded and opened her bag. She smiled at the sight of the familiar, warm wool. She hadn’t been sure what the blanket’s use would be exactly when she had originally packed it, but it was a welcome sight. Stretching and covering her legs, she looked up at Emmett as he took a seat beside her. The Stalker, silently, only glancing at them before warily leaning against the wall opposite, closer to the cave’s opening.</p><p>It didn’t take Emmett long to speak. “How are you doing?” he asked. His eyes, earnest and wide, scrutinising her. “It was quite a day.”</p><p>“I’m alright.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” he pressed. “This was your first time in the Zone, wasn’t it? With what happened…”</p><p>Bella closed her eyes and hid away a grimace as the vivid image that had been James flashed through her mind. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I am, really,” she said, ignoring her own discomfort. At least she thought she was, anyways; to whatever extent she could be. She was still whole, after all. “It was just so sudden.”</p><p>Emmett huffed. “You can say that again,” he said ruefully. “It’s not that I doubt that you knew the stories about this place, but seeing it first-hand is always different. Especially with the traps.” He breathed in deeply. “Whatever names we give them, whatever way we catalogue them—nothing changes the fact that one step out of line will most certainly mean an accident of some sort.”</p><p>She nodded and rested her head against the stone wall at her back. Outside, she only barely noticed the thick fog that began to emerge as the sun sank into the horizon, confining the area in a heavy sort of darkness she hadn’t seen since camping in the wilderness with Charlie as a kid. Before even the Visit had happened.</p><p>Her heart wrenched at the joyful memory.</p><p>“It worries me,” she finally confessed, after a few moments of silence. “The fact that I might not actually return hadn’t really registered. I don’t regret coming here—not at all—but seeing what happened to James, no matter how horrible he seemed to be… Well…”</p><p>She missed Charlie. She had for years, and in a way in which her visits to what had returned from the Zone when she was still in High School would never be able to fulfil. How long had it been since they had been able to share so much as a conversation? Since she had told him that she loved him? Would she ever have the chance to, now?</p><p>“I can understand that.” Emmett placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. “We will all make it. It’s the Major guiding us—he’s got one of the best rates of success in this town.”</p><p>Bella smiled shakily. “Are you sure?” she asked.</p><p>“Of course, you’ll see!” Emmett said. “And when we return, I’ll take you to meet my Rose properly, and—.”</p><p>“Rose?”</p><p>Emmett’s smile widened. “My wife—Rosalie,” he said softly, resting his head against the stone behind him. His dark, curly hair, falling away from his eyes. “We’ve known each other since we were children. Rose… she may seem cold, but she’s one of the most caring people you’ll ever meet.” He breathed in. “It was her that introduced me to the Major, you know? Years ago, now.”</p><p>The fondness with which he spoke about the woman she had seen briefly at the bar made Bella unintentionally mirror the smile. He loved—deeply. That much was clear. “Did you aim to come to the Zone because of her?” she asked.</p><p>“Yes, otherwise I’d have never sought out the Golden Sphere,” Emmett said, nodding. “She’s always wanted to have a child. A family. Still, when she was in an accident when she was fifteen that took her away from her.”</p><p>Bella’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, I—.”</p><p>Emmett shook his head, expression turning mournful. “The fact that I’ve worked as a Stalker before doesn’t quite help, either; what with what happens to the children of people who have a lot of contact with the Zone.”</p><p>“That’s very noble of you,” Bella said, voice barely above a whisper. It wasn’t too different from her own motivation for being there. “Isn’t she worried?”</p><p>“Oh, she most definitely is—didn’t want me to come at all. I insisted, though. I have no greater desire than to make Rose happy.”</p><p>“I hope you manage it,” Bella said earnestly. He turned to look at the tall, burly man and smiled. “I really do.”</p><p>Smirking, Emmett nodded. “Thank you,” he said. A pause. “She’d like you—I know she would. Don’t get me wrong, I know she disapproved of your willingly going into the Zone over how that can impact one’s children down the line, but—.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m rambling, sorry.”</p><p>“It’s okay,” Bella said. “It’s been a long day.”</p><p>He laughed. “It has, but tomorrow—tomorrow we’ll be back in Forks. You’ll see.”</p><p>Emmett then turned away to look at the outside of the cave. It was darker now, far darker than it had been. Pale rays of moonlight shone in through the fog, starkly white against its densely packed humidity. The Major, motionlessly standing at the same spot he had been before, was still looking outwards.</p><p>The sight sobered Emmett up. “We should try to get some rest,” he said quietly. “We don’t know how long this place will remain safe, but we should take advantage of it whilst we still can.”</p><p>Following his eyes, Bella observed the Major. He hadn’t given any signs of having heard them, but given the size of the cave it was hard to believe that he had missed their earlier words. She leant towards Emmett. “What about him?” she whispered. “Won’t he need to rest?”</p><p>“Not here—not in the Zone,” Emmett replied. “He’s been at this for years. All of the good Stalkers have. I don’t know the details myself, but I wouldn’t doubt his ability to keep himself awake and alert in the Zone for a day or more.” </p><p>Bella’s eyes widened. “Oh,” she said.</p><p>It was a hard thing to conceive. Though their walking pace had been comparatively slow, the vigilance they had had to maintain whilst advancing through the Zone had all but exhausted her. A fact made all the worse due to the tension the entire place elicited.</p><p>
  <em>To go through all of that and still be able to stand straight…</em>
</p><p>Emmett rose from the ground besides her, startling her away from her thoughts. “I’ll let you rest, Bella,” he said brightly. “Tomorrow will be a long day of roaming through what remains of the path, and the way back will no doubt take just as long. We’ll need whatever rest we can catch.”</p><p>“Yes, you’re right,” Bella said, smiling. “Good night, Emmett.”</p><p>Emmett nodded. “And good night to you too. It was a surprise to see someone like you at that bar, but I can’t say I regret meeting you.”</p><p>With that he walked away, eventually sitting down atop a rock on the opposite side of the cave. Taking out a blanket thicker than Bella’s own, he covered himself and propped himself against the stone wall, facing away from the cave’s entrance. Bella stretched her arms and shifted in her seat, trying to find a position that would help her fall asleep. Pulling the blanket around her, she breathed in deeply and looked up. Closing her eyes, she turning to face the inside of the nook in the cave’s wall, not noticing herself fall asleep.</p><p>She awoke hours later. Her body shook with the cold despite the thin blanket covering most of it, the jagged movements jerking too much to stop.</p><p>Breathing in shakily, Bella wrapped her arms around her own torso, trying to cut through the lingering drowsy haze. Wet, hot tears filled her eyes, threatening to fall. Clenching her eyes shut, pulled the blanket tighter around herself. Her breath rasped in her throat. She could still see him, as he had been amidst those mounds of gravel, spiteful and confident, right before—.</p><p>A hand pressed against her upper arm, warm and comforting. “Breathe,” a voice said softly. “Breathe, Bella.”</p><p>Nodding slowly, Bella forced herself to inhale and exhale rhythmically. Attempting to cast the lingering vision of her dream out of her mind until, eventually, minutes later, her breaths evened out. Opening her eyes, she met the eyes of the Major, fixed intently on her own. He was close. Close enough that she could see the amber flecks dotting his iris.</p><p>“That’s it, breathe in,” he said. “You’re alright.”</p><p>A dull pang of pain ran through her as Bella shifted in her seat. <em>A nightmare—I had a nightmare</em>, she thought, looking around. The fog outside of the cave had lifted somewhat, though it was clear that dawn was a long while away. <em>What time is it?</em></p><p>“Thank you,” she croaked. “How did you know? I wasn’t being loud, was I? Sorry if I woke up you up.”</p><p>The Stalker shook his head. “You weren’t.” He raised his eyebrows and moved away, giving her space. “It’s not something that happened immediately, but at some point, after I started travelling repeatedly through the Zone, I developed a knack for telling other people’s emotions apart. You were panicking.”</p><p>Bella nodded. It made sense, though it wasn’t like anything she had ever heard before. She looked away from him, suddenly ashamed.  “I’m sorry if I got in the way,” she said. She had, she knew that much, and could have gotten killed over it had the man before her not stopped her.</p><p>“You didn’t—no more than anyone venturing into the Zone for the first time.” Exhaling audibly, the Major sat beside her. Slouching forwards, he silently contemplated his next words. “What happened to James was his own doing. Your reaction was good, all things considered.”</p><p>“But I almost walked off,” Bella blurted. “Woke you up, too. What if—.”</p><p>The Major shook his head. “I was already awake. It’s nothing. Sleeping problems are to be expected.” He gave her a sidelong glance. “You have good instincts. Not everyone does.”</p><p>“I wasn’t sure how I would do, or what to expect.” Bella looked down. “I’ve heard the stories, but none of them seem to portray anything about this place correctly.”</p><p>He huffed mirthlessly. “None do,” he said. “It is difficult to explain to someone that has never been in the Zone how it is.”</p><p>The Stalker turned to look at the opening of the cave, blond hair alight with some of the few, rays of moonlight shining through. The sight, unfamiliar and bizarre, startled her. It was strange to see the stark, commanding man that had guided them throughout the entirety of the day like this, pensive and mellow.</p><p>She looked away. “This will probably sound irresponsible, but the Zone—.”</p><p>His eyes darted back to hers. Bella stopped and breathed in, trying to decide how to best give voice to what she had felt throughout much of the day. A sudden, bright confidence coursed through her at the memory of how wondrous the Zone had seemed once they had started to traverse it.</p><p>“It’s like nothing I expected,” she continued. “It’s dangerous, I can see that, but it somehow feels more alive than any other place in Forks. Like it’s in colour and everything else is black and white.”</p><p>A low, slight smile grew on the Stalker’s lips. “Almost every Stalker out there would agree with you.”</p><p><em>An accent, he has an accent</em>, Bella suddenly realised. A soft twang akin to Peter’s own, all too clear in the way he overemphasised some vowels whilst prolonging others. A drawl that pointed unequivocally at his likely place of birth.</p><p>“Major—.”</p><p>He shook his head. Breathing in deeply, he allowed his smile to grow. “Call me Jasper.” He continued before she could do anything more than nod. “Your father… Was he Charlie Swan, the old Chief of Police?”</p><p>“Yes, why?”</p><p>“I knew him,” Jasper said. “He almost caught me returning from the Zone once, a long time ago, back when I first started. Let me go and tried to convince me to drop it and to find something better to do. I must have only been sixteen at the time, but it was already too late.” The Stalker rested his head against the cave’s wall. “You look like him.”</p><p>Bella felt her eyes water again. “Thank you. There aren’t many people who remember him anymore, I think.” She looked up, attempting to blink away the tears. “After what happened to him…”</p><p>“I was sorry to hear it,” Jasper answered. “Is he the reason why you want to reach the Golden Sphere?”</p><p>“He is,” she said. “He’s still being treated at the Institute, but I don’t think anything will ever come of it. Not with how they are.”</p><p>Her words seem to sober him up. The Stalker turned so as to face her more directly, straightening his posture. “Be on your guard when we approach the Golden Sphere tomorrow. That thing—it’s not normal.”</p><p>“You suggested that at the bar,” Bella muttered, remembering his words. “It grants desires, right?”</p><p>“The deepest ones. It grants the strongest and most profoundly held desires any person may have,” he said harshly. His expression twisted with distaste. “It doesn’t grant wishes—never wishes. Just desires.”</p><p>A single glance was enough to reveal just how much he disliked the artefact, which begged the question of just why he regularly agreed to take people to the it, or why he had agreed to James’ and the Institute’s involvement at all. The promise of monetary gain could be what drove the man before her, but it didn’t seem to fit. There had to be something more. Something else.</p><p><em>Perhaps…?</em> she wondered.</p><p>“Is that why the Leech committed suicide?” she asked. It must have had something to do with it. Desires, not wishes; that’s how the Golden Sphere worked.</p><p>Slowly, as if hesitant, the man nodded. “The Leech sought out the Golden Sphere years ago. Discovered it.” His gaze turned blank and unfocused. “She wanted to heal one of her sisters. Revive her, almost; or so she thought.”</p><p>Bella’s eyes widened. “And, instead, she became inexplicably rich,” she said. “She didn’t really want to save her sister at all. She just wanted wealth.”</p><p>Jasper’s lips twisted upwards, and he smiled derisively. “Exactly,” he said. “She wasn’t able to cope with the realisation of just how far her own greed went.”</p><p>Bella looked away. She had assumed all this time that getting her wish granted by the Golden Sphere would be easy and simple, that there wouldn’t be any problems involved, but what if things didn’t work out that way? What if things went wrong?</p><p>What if, like the Leech, a deeper, hidden, unacknowledged desire was granted instead?</p><p>“She was called Maria, right?” she asked. She thought she had been, if Jessica was to be believed. “Wasn’t she one of the first people to venture into the Zone?”</p><p>The question seemed to shock him out of his stupor. “She was. One of the most successful, too; if at the expense of everyone around her,” he answered, relaxing his posture. “I’m probably one of the few that made it out of her company alive. Well, me and Peter.” His face softened at the name, as if remembering something. “Practically a miracle.”</p><p>Bella leant forwards, moving closer to the blond man. “How long have you been doing this?” she asked, curious.</p><p>“Probably almost ten years, give or take. Ever since Maria dragged me in.”</p><p>“Have you ever thought about stopping?”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter if I have,” the Major said levelly, shaking his head. He straightened his posture again at the words and stood up, turning to look outside of the cave. “I’ve been talking for too long, sorry. You should rest whilst you still can,” he said. “I will awaken you and Emmett when it is time to leave tomorrow.”</p><p>“It’s alright.” She shifted beneath her blanket, trying to hide away a shiver. She could feel just how tired she really was, but she felt too cold to manage to fall asleep.</p><p>The Stalker, seeming to notice, walked to his own pack and retrieved a different, thicker blanket. Surprised, Bella observed as he laid it over her with quick, deliberate movements. A blush rose to her cheeks as she caught his tawny eyes.</p><p>Her heart skipped a beat. “Thank you, Major.”</p><p>“Jasper,” he said again, “call me Jasper.” He rose to stand. “It’s best to be weary of the cold, particularly here.”</p><p>“Jasper, then,” Bella said.</p><p>The Stalker’s expression brightened. A small, genuine smile grew on his lips as he stepped towards the position by the mouth of the cave he had been occupying before.</p><p>Gathering courage, Bella propped herself up against the wall. “What about you? Won’t you need to rest?”</p><p>He shook his head. “I’ll be alright,” he said, leaning against the wall. “Sleep, Bella.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The morning revealed a fog just as heavy as the one that had descended that night. Thick and murky, it obscured much of the area around them, depriving them of the clarity and visibility they had enjoyed the day before. Bella packed her things and looked questioningly at Jasper as he observed the area immediately beyond the cave. Though he was frowning, it was clear that the dense fog didn’t surprise or faze him.</p><p>“Will we be okay?” she asked hesitantly, nearing Emmett.</p><p>The dark-haired man smiled and gestured at Jasper. “He’ll know where to go. He’s done this route before.”</p><p>“But with this fog and the loss of the map James had—.”</p><p>“We’ll be fine,” Emmett said again. “I don’t think the Major needs a map to navigate the Zone. Never has.” He waited until Bella nodded before ambling towards her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. Discreetly, he glanced at Jasper, blue eyes smiling. “He told you his name, right?” he asked.</p><p>“His name?” Bella repeated.</p><p>His smile widened. “Exactly—he told it to you, did he?”</p><p>“I won’t reveal it to anyone,” Bella quickly affirmed. She couldn’t, not after last night, though it wasn’t something she would have shared anyways. The very thought felt dissolute.</p><p>Emmett shook his head. “I know. I’m just glad to hear that he did, that’s all. It makes things easier,” he said. “The Major, he—. Well, he’s probably more open than he lets on professionally. At least with certain people.”</p><p>Bella turned to look at the blond man by the mouth of the cave, arm outstretched in a way that hinted at his having thrown a nut. “I had a nightmare about James,” she confessed, voice barely a whisper. “He came over to talk to me when I almost had a panic attack. He knew my father.”</p><p>Emmett’s nodded, smile still in place. He didn’t say anything, and instead patted her on her back before walking towards the Stalker. “Is it safe?” he asked.</p><p>“It is,” Jasper said resolutely, meeting his eyes only briefly. “The fog will slow us down, but it won’t be a problem—at least for now. We can go.”</p><p>Bella picked up her bag and, throwing it over her shoulder, advanced towards the two men. “Should I go first?” she asked.</p><p>“No, I will,” Emmett said calmly. “So long as you hold some of the spare nuts things will be fine.”</p><p>With that they left the safety of the cave and began to make their way down the path they had followed the previous evening, until they reached the clearing they had departed from come sunset. Its grass, though lush and strewn with flowers, showed no signs of the dew the fog and the early morning should have otherwise brought.</p><p>Emmett threw a nut to their left. It coursed through the air normally, falling a few yards away. “Where to now?” he asked.</p><p>“East, to the top of that hill,” Jasper said, pointing to a side. “We need to get to the top—we’re aiming for the abandoned factory plant that’s there.”</p><p>The dark-haired man nodded and pressed on, throwing another nut when he reached the first one. Bella followed after him, wearily observing the edges the clearing. Something about it felt off. The shadows of the pine trees encasing it didn’t seem to fall quite right. Beneath them, covering the ground, the bright and colourful flowers were almost completely odourless.</p><p>The air got heavier as they advanced beyond the clearing, growing damp and stifling despite the month. The fog didn’t relent, remaining just as heavy as they crossed by a set of rotting trees, concealing much of the area beyond them.</p><p>Carefully, Bella stepped over what looked like the remains of a broken-down helicopter blade as they began to descend down a hill. A feeling of nausea grew in the pit of her stomach, and she nervously swallowed the lump that had formed at her throat. In front of her Emmett walked lightly, almost cheerfully, as if unaware of the tortuous tension the very area around them seemed to emanate. As if there wasn’t anything strange and unnatural in the area they were crossing.</p><p>She could barely tell the sun was at its summit by the time they reached an embankment. The fog, thick enough to look white, laid heavily on both of its sides, just barely concealing the corroded rails at its sides. From time to time it rolled over them in heavy streams, slowly swirling in a haze. The air smelt of damp rust, and the water to the right of the embankment of decay. She couldn’t see anything except the fog, but Bella knew, from what she could remember of the landscape the day before, that a hilly plain stretched to their sides and front.</p><p>They had just reached the end of the embankment when Jasper abruptly stopped. He stretched his arm to the left, as if trying to feel for something. “Stop!” he ordered.</p><p>Bella’s eyes widened. “There’s an air current,” she said, guessing the other man’s thoughts. “A soft one—from our front.”</p><p>Emmett grunted in assent. “A bug trap?” he asked, looking back to Jasper over his shoulder.</p><p>“Yes.” Jasper breathed in deeply, as if attempting to smell something beyond the damp, putrid stench of the water to their right. When he was satisfied he took one of the nuts Bella was holding and threw it, silently observing how it coursed through the air. “Head farther to the right,” he ordered. “Go ahead.”</p><p>They passed a pile of grey rags—the only visible remains of the last unfortunate person to cross through the area—and pressed forwards. Sweat began to gather on her brow. Feeling discomforted by the feeling, Bella lifted her hand and wiped it off. The action seemed to catch the eye of Jasper, who looked up at the barely visible sun and, then, at the dry grass beyond the coarse gravel footpath. Bella followed his eyes as they finally shifted to the imprints of their own footsteps, clear impressions in what had been a hard, dry ground.</p><p>He breathed in sharply. “Get down!”</p><p>Dust burst from underneath as Bella fell face-first into the gravel. She remained completely still, heart beating frantically. Distantly, she saw Emmett doing the same, pressing himself against the jagged, coarse dirt. The heat above them intensified, pressing down and enveloping her whole body like scalding water.</p><p>“Don’t move,” Jasper ordered again. “Wait it out.”</p><p>Bella pressed herself further into the ground. Sweat continued to gather on her brow. The skin at her back began to bristle. Clenching her jaw, she ignored the way the tiny pieces of rock pressed against her skin and tried to hold back a scream as the air above her began to feel like heaps of burning coal.</p><p>She couldn’t have said how much time passed before the heat had begun to fade. She just noticed that she could breathe again, and that the air was once again air instead of the burning steam scorching her throat.</p><p>Jasper rose from the ground slowly, suspiciously, and looked at the area around them. “It’s safe,” he said after a few moments, voice low. “We can continue.”</p><p>Nodding, Bella followed after him, with Emmett doing the same. Dazedly, she couldn’t help but fixate on just how little the area around them had changed. <em>It’s like nothing happened</em>, she realised, <em>like nothing changed at all moments ago.</em></p><p>Emmett smiled as he looked over her. “You’re fine, Bella,” he said, misinterpreting her expression. “We’re all fine—we avoided it just in time.”</p><p>The tone of his voice, desperately trying to portray a calm the tension in his shoulders gave away as false, startled her. Gulping, Bella touched her face and back, trying to find out if the scorching heat had burnt her skin, clothes, or hair. Feeling nothing out of the ordinary, she looked at her two travel companions. The sight of them made her sigh with relief. Nothing. She was fine. They all were. Nothing had happened.</p><p>Bella felt herself freeze as she turned to observe the area around them again. The dry grass to their sides was streaked with tracks of scorch marks which cut much of the embankment, the closest barely ten yards away.</p><p>“What was that?” she asked, meeting the Stalker’s eyes. “What was that, Jasper?”</p><p>He shook his head and looked to the area beyond the embankment. “It doesn’t matter,” he said evenly, voice calm and unaffected. “We should press on before it returns.”</p><p>“I’d never heard of something like that,” Emmett said, audibly nervous, running a hand through his hair. “Where to?”</p><p>“Same direction, towards the hills in front,” Jasper said confidently. “We’re getting close now.”</p><p>The fog evaporated before their eyes as they began to walk again. It vanished from the area just beyond the embankment, the air around them clearing as the milky haze eroded and melted, revealing the forested hilltops. Bella glanced over the malnourished bushes growing throughout the area, finding herself drawn instead to the caterpillar tracks scattered throughout. There were multiple sets of them, all in the same state of corroded decay. Close by were a number of tank hulls bearing the faded insignia of the International Institute of Extraterrestrial Cultures. Though otherwise whole, they had been twisted violently out of shape, as if wrung like damp cloths.</p><p>Bella’s legs shook by the time they came to a stop, the pace they were following finally getting to her. A heavy tension weighed on her shoulders, persistent and impossible to ignore. Feeling mentally and physically exhausted, she barely noticed the green-like liquid glistening greasily atop the ground in front of them, and instead found her eyes drawn to the old, abandoned factory plant atop a nearby hill.</p><p>“It’s safe,” Jasper said flatly, gesturing with his head to the strange liquid. “Push on.”</p><p>Swallowing loudly, Emmett nodded and began to walk forwards, throwing a nut ever few yards. Bella followed after him, with Jasper close behind.</p><p>At first they walked upright, lifting their shoes above the liquid’s surface until, a few yards into it, its deepening surface forced them to wade through it. It was warm and sticky, like pus. A light steam wafted off its surface. Holding her breath, Bella did her best to ignore it, trying to take her mind away from its reeking smell and strange texture.</p><p>Half an hour must have passed before they had finally cleared through the liquid. Breathing in deeply, Bella rested the palms of her hands on the dirty, grimy surface of her jeans. Looking away from it, she stared at the towering structure of the factory just beyond them.</p><p>“We made it. We really did make it,” Emmett said reverently, sounding relieved. “Where to now, Major?” he asked, pointing to a door at its front. “Do we go through that door over there?”</p><p>Jasper narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “No, it’s trapped—impossible to make it through.” he said. “There’s a caved-in underground hallway west of our position. It should be far safer.”</p><p>Emmett nodded. Throwing a nut, he waited until it fell cleanly on the ground before stepping again. Eventually, they reached the caved-in hallway Jasper had mentioned. Though built deeply underground, its ceiling had collapsed in such a way that made descending to the wet, concrete floor at its bottom possible.</p><p>Throwing another nut, Emmett waited for Jasper’s assent before beginning to descend down the slope. “Careful,” he said, “it’s not stable.”</p><p>Bella’s heart thundered as she followed after him. Trying to keep her breaths levelled, she fixed her eyes on the area immediately before her until, finally, she was on solid ground again.</p><p>“We’re almost there,” Jasper said lowly. “The Golden Sphere is close by.”</p><p>She met his eyes. “What now?”</p><p>“We follow this hallway and go up the stairs at the end. Don’t deviate from the path and don’t turn back. When we get to the Golden Sphere, don’t rush forwards. There’s a grinder in the room leading to it.”</p><p>Bella and Emmett nodded. Slowly, footsteps echoing throughout the hallway, they entered the underground tunnel. Light faded away as they pushed on, casting the hallway in gloom broken only by the flickering glow of the red emergency lights. It was damp—excessively so. Water droplets fell from the roof onto the floor, where they trickled away through the cracks in the floor to huge puddles gathering to their sides and beneath. The cracks got worse as they advanced, gradually widening until what they were walking through barely resembled a floor at all.</p><p>They had almost reached the end of the hallway when a loud banging noise reverberated above them.</p><p>Emmett sucked in a breath loudly. His face contorted with anxiety as he swivelled around to face Jasper. “What was that?” he asked.</p><p>“Nothing.” The Stalker frowned, eyes darting up. “Whatever it is, it’s not here. Ignore it. Crouch forwards and keep going.”</p><p>“Are you sure that—.”</p><p>“Keep going, Emmett!” he commanded.</p><p>Bella approached the dark-haired man. “Let’s continue, Emmett,” she said as soothingly as she could, “we’re close now.”</p><p>He assented shakily. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I just feel on edge.”</p><p>The loud clanking noise resonated above them again. It repeated quickly, loudly and strongly enough to make it vibrate down the walls. Bella froze. Anxiety began to pool in her stomach. She glanced up at the ceiling, irrationally expecting to see something—anything—that would give away the origin of the noise.</p><p>It didn’t take long for Jasper to speak again. His voice, smooth and levelled, indicative of just how unafraid he was. “Bella, keep going.”</p><p>The words seem to shake Emmett out of his reverie. He began to press on forwards again, eyes darting wildly to the area around them, his footsteps noticeably more irregular. Bella followed after him, doing her best to keep her breaths even as they crossed through the remainder of the hallway. Eventually, they reached a gaping hole where a metallic door of some sort had once stood, the rusted staircase beyond it leading up to a bright, open space she couldn’t quite make out.</p><p>Jasper gestured towards it. “Up,” he said. “The Golden Sphere will be just beyond.”</p><p>The metallic structure creaked underneath them, groaning with their weight. Bella ignored it, looking away as the sudden onset of light blinded her, and, blinking rapidly, observed the room they had ascended into.</p><p>It was wide, far more than the outside of the abandoned factory building would have suggested. A significant number of its walls had collapsed, giving a clear view of a number of dark, narrow hallways leading further into the building. Large mounds of dust had gathered around its edges, undisturbed despite the clear breeze flowing through the area.</p><p>“Forwards, until we reach the end of this hall,” Jasper said, gesturing at an open archway. “The Golden Sphere is there. Don’t rush. There’s a grinder—we’ll need to wait for it to deactivate before we can approach it safely.”</p><p>The inside of the room they were approaching gradually came into view as they advanced. Bella held her breath. It was empty, completely empty, though just beyond it, to a side…</p><p>“We made it!” Emmett said ecstatically. He laughed happily and crouched down. “We really made it after all, didn’t we?”</p><p>Bella raised her eyes and looked at the Sphere. Carefully. Apprehensively. With a suppressed fear that it would all be wrong—that it’d disappear.</p><p>It wasn’t golden. It was closer to copper, reddish and completely smooth; surface gleaming dully in the sun. It lay under a far wall, cosily nestled between two massive piles of dust. Its size was massive, and it was clear even from a distance just how heavily it pressed on the ground beneath it.</p><p>Nothing about it seemed to fit the stories she had heard about it, or so much as suggest it as the same artefact. It didn’t disappoint or inspire hope. It didn’t emit light or float in the air, like some of the legends suggested it did. Instead, it laid where it had once fallen, just a few paces away from the strange mounds of dust.</p><p>The longer she looked at it, the clearer and more enjoyable the action became. She wanted to touch it. To run her hand along the coppery surface and sit beside it. Rest, even. <em>I deserve to after walking for so long, don’t I?</em></p><p>Emmett jumped up, undid all the zippers of his coat, and tore it off. The metallic nuts he had been carrying fell onto the floor. Yelling something, he began to approach it. He didn’t look back at Bella or Jasper, forgetting about everything that wasn’t the reddish sphere.</p><p>Jasper’s eyes widened. He reached forwards, attempting to grab him. “Emmett!”</p><p>He didn’t reach him. As if bewitched, Emmett walked forwards, stepping giddily and excitedly towards the sphere. Frozen, Bella watched on, irrationally knowing what was about to happen.</p><p>“My Rose!” he bellowed. “Help her conceive a child! Help both of us have a child—the child she’s always desperately wanted!”</p><p>With that he abruptly went quiet, as if a something had suddenly shoved a gag into his mouth. Bella saw the transparent emptiness lurking by a pile of dust grab him, jerk him up into the air, and slowly twist him. She barely had time to notice one of his shoes fly off a twitching foot before his body slammed into one of the piles of dust. A cloud of white rose up into the air as Emmett’s body sank into the pile.</p><p>Bella fell onto her knees. Her breath shook. Eyes wide, she kept her stare fixed on the pile of dust, horrified at the abrupt silence that had filled the room. “Emmett,” she muttered. She didn’t know what to do. “What happened to Emmett?</p><p>Jasper clenched his eyes shut and ran a hand through his hair. “The grinder,” he said. “It was the grinder. There’s a grinder near the sphere—we had to wait for the effect to dissipate.” Opening his eyes again, he crouched and picked up Emmett’s discarded coat. “She didn’t see this,” he muttered. “She didn’t see any of this.”</p><p>Bella didn’t nod. She didn’t move. Unprompted, Jasper’s warning the night before flashed through her mind. Could she ask for a wish now, after what had just happened? Was that something she would really be able to do, assuming that the grinder’s effect didn’t return? Would the desire that would get granted be something she’d be able to live with?</p><p>“I don’t think I will make a wish,” she said reluctantly, after a few seconds. She wanted to, though, badly; but it wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t fair. Not after this. “I can’t. Not after Emmett—.” She looked up at the Jasper. “What will we do now?”</p><p>The Stalker tore his eyes away from the coat. “I don’t know,” he confessed. “Emmett—. I told him to be careful. About the grinder in this room. About how we were going to get paid for bringing the sphere back.”</p><p>He then went silent, as if in shock. His hands trembled. Bella, not fully knowing what to do, stirred and rose up from the floor. Approaching the blond man, she held his hands and gently eased their grip until she was able to hold the coat. Though warm, their surface was covered with a cold, uncomfortable sweat.</p><p>How long had the two men known one another?</p><p>“Jasper,” she said, trying to remain as calm as she could. She couldn’t overreact, not now. Not here. Not until he knew what to do. “Breathe in.”</p><p>A second cloud of white rose up into the air as something twitched within the pile of dust. An arm, twisted and covered in the thin, pale dust jerked up into the air. A pained moan filled the room as it attempted to reach up and grasp something, flailing wildly.</p><p>Bella’s eyes widened. “Emmett!” she exclaimed, turning to look at Jasper. “He’s alive, isn’t he? Jasper?”</p><p>The demeanour of the blond man had changed again. Eyes narrowed, his posture now resembled the confident, calculated one she had grown used to seeing throughout the previous days. “For now,” he answered, voice low.</p><p>Crouching, the Stalker grabbed one of the fallen nuts and threw it forwards. Bella held her breath as the heavy piece of hardware ploughed through the air and fell between two piles of dust. Nothing happened.</p><p>Jasper’s eyes darted to her own. “Follow me. I won’t be able to get Emmett out of there on my own,” he said. He took a length of rope out of his bag and stepped forwards. “Don’t touch him with your bare skin.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading this! Part of the blame for my deciding to write this goes to all the lovely stories I ended up reading over the last month after Tsume_Yuki’s wonderful ‘A Hundred Winks of Sunshine’. The idea behind this story ultimately amounts to a relatively rare crossover-type AU, but I hope it does justice to the characters.</p><p>So far, I have written five out of the eight chapters that this story will have in full. Thanks to that, I’ll be posting a new chapter for this story fully regularly on a weekly basis. I shouldn’t have any problems up-keeping this unless something in real life prevents me from writing, so there’ll likely be no delays as far as publishing chapters goes. </p><p>Some of the dialogue utilised here (particularly in the projected video in the first scene of this chapter) are inspired or taken directly from the film and book—they will be noticeable for anyone who has read them, though this will likely not be happening again in the story going forwards. </p><p>Though this story will follow thematically after the book and movie up to a degree, it will veer of course quite considerably towards the end (something which will be quite obvious when the time comes). Suffice to say, I heartily recommend both—Roadside Picnic and Stalker are fantastic pieces of media, and some of the best science-fiction has to offer.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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